Acura is the luxury vehicle division of Japanese automaker Honda Motor Company. The brand has been available in the United States and Canada since March 1986, marketing luxury, performance, and near-performance vehicles. It was introduced to Hong Kong in 1991, Mexico in 2004, and China in 2006.
Acura holds the distinction of being the first Japanese automotive luxury brand.In its first few years of existence, Acura was among the best-selling luxury marques in the US. Though sales were down in the mid-to-late 1990s, the brand experienced a revival in the early 2000s, due to drastic redesigns and the introductions of new models.
Acura is the luxury vehicle division of Japanese automaker Honda Motor Company. The brand has been available in the United States and Canada since March 1986, marketing luxury, performance, and near-performance vehicles. It was introduced to Hong Kong in 1991, Mexico in 2004, and China in 2006. Honda's plan to introduce Acura to the Japanese market in 2008 was delayed, due to economic reasons, and later withheld as a result of the 2008 financial crisis.
The creation of Acura coincided with the introduction of a Japanese Honda dealership sales channel, called Honda Clio, which sold luxury vehicles, joining previously established Honda Verno, followed by Honda Primo the following year. Acura holds the distinction of being the first Japanese automotive luxury brand.In its first few years of existence, Acura was among the best-selling luxury marques in the US. Though sales were down in the mid-to-late 1990s, the brand experienced a revival in the early 2000s, due to drastic redesigns and the introductions of new models.
History
In 1986, Honda launched into the luxury market with the Acura, marketing these vehicles in the US, Canadian and Hong Kong markets. It was the first Japanese brand to appear on the luxury market. Styles were limited really to the Legend and the Integra, the Legend being a sedan while the Integra came in either a sporty coupe or a sedan. Acura built on Honda's reputation for reliability and low cost for the quality was instantly successful and while it lacks the glitter of luxury European models, there is no doubt that the Acura is packed with luxury features and desired performance. In the early 1990s, Honda introduced the NSX sports car to its Acura line up. It stayed true to Honda's reputation and matched its competitors while undercutting their prices. During the 1990s, the Acura name experienced difficulties as Honda tried to determine and establish the image it wanted to project for this line with renamed models, and a renamed version of a competitor's SUV. It tried to meet rising consumer interest too quickly.
In the 21st century, however, Acura has buckled down and revamped its range of available products to meet the variety of consumer interests. The MDX appeared in 2001 and is Acura's answer to the Luxury SUV, featuring family friendly amenities. In 2002, the RSX sport coupe was introduced to replace the Integra and in 2004, the TSX an entry level sports sedan was added to the Acura fleet. It also redesigned the midsize TL sedan, Acura's most popular fleet model and in 2005, redesigned its RL flagship model.
