Acura facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Acura

Type	Division
Industry	Automotive
Founded	March 27, 1986; 39 years ago (1986-03-27)
Founder	Soichiro Honda
Headquarters	Torrance, California, United States
Area served	United States Canada Mexico Panama Kuwait
Key people	Jon Ikeda (former VP and Brand Officer)
Products	Luxury vehicles Performance vehicles
Brands	A-Spec, Type-S
Services	Automotive financing
Owner	Honda
Parent	American Honda Motor Company

Acura is the fancy, high-performance car brand of the Japanese company Honda. It mainly sells cars in North America. Acura started on March 27, 1986, to sell luxury and sporty cars. You can find Acura cars in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Panama, and Kuwait.

Acura was the first luxury car brand created by a Japanese carmaker. When Acura began, it quickly became one of the best-selling luxury brands in the US. It even sold more cars than well-known brands like BMW and Mercedes-Benz in its early years. Even though sales slowed down a bit in the late 1990s, the brand became popular again in the early 2000s with cool new designs and models.

In the late 1980s, Acura's first main car, the Legend, was very successful. This inspired other Japanese car companies, Toyota and Nissan, to create their own luxury brands, Lexus and Infiniti. In 1990, Acura launched the NSX, a special sports car. It was a reliable and practical choice compared to expensive European sports cars. The NSX also brought Honda's VTEC engine technology to North America. Later, in the 1990s, Acura made a special high-performance version of its Integra car, called the Type R.

In the early 2000s, Acura introduced new models. These included the MDX, which was their first SUV designed from scratch. They also launched the RSX and TSX to replace the Integra car. Special "Type-S" versions of the RSX, CL, and TL cars were also added. In 2005, Acura's RL car introduced a special all-wheel drive system called SH-AWD. The 2007 RDX SUV was the first Honda car in North America to use a turbocharged engine. A new NSX sports car came out in 2016. It has a powerful twin-turbo engine and a special hybrid all-wheel drive system.

Etymology and logo

The name Acura comes from the Latin word “acutus,” which means "to sharpen." The Acura logo looks like a caliper, which is a tool used for precise measurements. This shows that Acura cars are built with great attention to detail.

History

1980s

Acura was created around the same time that other Japanese car companies, Nissan and Toyota, started their luxury brands, Infiniti and Lexus. The Japanese government had rules about how many cars could be sent to the U.S. market. So, it made more sense for Japanese carmakers to send more expensive cars to the U.S.

First generation Acura Legend coupe

After ten years of research, Honda opened 60 new dealerships in North America in 1986 for its Acura car division. Acura was the first Japanese luxury brand. Its first slogan was, "Acura. Precision Crafted Automobiles." They started with two models: the larger Legend and the smaller Integra, which came as a five-door or three-door hatchback.

The success of these cars, especially the Legend, led other Japanese companies to create their own luxury brands. Toyota started Lexus, and Nissan started Infiniti. The Legend was meant to compete with cars like the Toyota Crown. When the Legend came out in 1986, other car companies like Lincoln noticed how popular it was. They later offered their own luxury cars to compete.

First generation Acura Integra

In 1987, Acura's first full year of sales, they sold 109,000 cars. The Legend sedan made up 55,000 of those sales. By 1990, Acura was selling 138,000 vehicles. This was more than Mercedes-Benz (78,000 cars) and BMW (64,000 cars) at the time.

1990s

In 1990, Acura introduced the NSX. This was a powerful sports car with a V6 engine and rear-wheel drive. The NSX was known as the first Japanese car that could compete with famous brands like Ferrari and Porsche. This car helped show off Honda's VTEC engine technology. The NSX was also the first car made entirely from aluminum. It was seen as an "everyday supercar" because it was easy to use, well-built, and reliable. These were qualities not usually found in supercars back then. With the NSX, Acura also introduced its "A-badge" logo.

The NSX was sold under the Acura brand in certain regions

Even though Acura started strong, sales went down in the mid-to-late 1990s. Some people thought this was because the car designs were less exciting. Also, Acura started using letters and numbers for car names, like 3.5 RL instead of Legend. Many people found these new names less memorable than the old ones.

During this time, the NSX also sold less because Acura didn't change it much from its original 1990 design. The Integra sedan was stopped in Canada and replaced by the Acura 1.6 EL, which was a different Honda car. The Integra sedan continued to be sold in the United States until 2001.

Acura Integra Type R

Despite these challenges, Acura became popular in the 1990s with young car fans who liked to "tune" or customize cars. Honda was known for making engines that were easy to tune and fun to drive. This helped the Integra become a very popular car for these enthusiasts.

2000–2003

Around the year 2000, Acura became popular again. This happened because they introduced several new and improved car models. One of the first was the 1999 Acura 3.2 TL, a fancy sedan. This car offered a good mix of sportiness and luxury. It was also priced well, which made it very popular. Later Acura models also offered lots of standard features without many extra options.

First generation Acura MDX

Another new Acura car from the early 2000s was the MDX. This was a popular three-row SUV that was based on the Honda Odyssey minivan. The MDX replaced the SLX, which was just a rebadged Isuzu Trooper. The MDX was more like a car to drive and was perfect for the luxury SUV market. It won awards from car magazines. Other Acura cars at this time included the 3.2 TL, 3.2 CL, RSX (which used to be the Integra hatchback), and the NSX. By the late 2000s, Acura stopped using engine size numbers in its car names, making them simpler (like RL instead of 3.5 RL).

In 2001, a new coupe called the RSX was added to the Acura lineup. It replaced the Integra. The RSX was very popular with car tuners, just like the Integra. However, the RSX was stopped at the end of 2006. Acura said they wanted to focus on more luxury cars and not cars mostly driven by teenagers.

2004–2006

A new TL car came out for the 2004 model year. It had a 270 horsepower V6 engine. This new TL greatly increased sales, with 70,943 units sold in America in 2005.

Around the same time, the Acura TSX was introduced. This car was a loaded version of the Honda Accord sold in Europe and Japan. The TSX became the only four-cylinder sedan in Acura's lineup (except for the Canadian Acura CSX).

2004-2006 Acura TL

2005 Acura RL

2006 Acura CSX

2007 Acura RDX

In 2005, a new RL car was introduced. It had a 300 horsepower V6 engine, better looks, and a special Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD) system. This system could send almost all of the RL's power to just one wheel when turning. The second-generation RL was named one of Car and Driver's Ten Best cars for 2005.

Acura's new models, especially the TL and TSX, were well-liked by car experts and became Acura's best-selling cars. The TSX was on Car and Driver's Ten Best list from 2004 to 2006.

In 2006, Acura introduced a small SUV called the RDX. It came out in August 2006 in the U.S. It has a turbocharged 240-horsepower four-cylinder engine and uses Acura's SH-AWD system, just like the RL. A completely redesigned MDX came out in the fall of 2006 with a 300-horsepower V6 engine and Super Handling All-Wheel Drive.

2007–2013

First generation Acura TSX

Acura brought back the TL Type-S for the 2007 model year. In 2009, all-new TL and TSX models were released, along with an updated RL. Acura also announced a new luxury SUV called the ZDX.

The ZDX was the first Acura car designed in Acura's design studio in Southern California. It was based on the Acura MDX and used its 3.7-liter V6 engine and SH-AWD system. It was also the first Acura car built entirely in North America. The ZDX was designed to look like a "four-door coupe." It went on sale in December 2009.

2012 Acura TL

Acura had planned for the third generation of the RL to be a powerful V8 sedan. However, they stopped these plans due to economic challenges in 2008.

Acura announced a new TSX wagon at the 2010 New York Auto Show, which went on sale in the fall of 2010. This wagon version was based on a Honda Accord wagon already sold in Europe.

For the 2010 model year, the MDX models got small changes to their outside look and more features. The engine stayed the same, but the transmission was updated from 5-speeds to 6-speeds.

In 2012, Acura introduced a new model called the ILX. It replaced the Acura CSX in Canada and was based on the Honda Civic car platform. The ILX offered different engine choices, including a hybrid. Acura also showed the Acura RLX Concept, which would replace the RL sedan. The ILX went on sale in May 2012 as a 2013 model.

Third generation Acura MDX

2016 Acura NSX

Also in 2012, Acura updated the RDX. For the new model, Acura changed from a 4-cylinder turbo engine to a 3.5-liter V6. The 2013 RDX looked similar to the ILX. The 2013 RDX used a simpler all-wheel drive system instead of the SH-AWD.

In 2013, Acura showed a concept for the 2014 MDX, which was soon released. The MDX competes with other luxury SUVs like the Lexus RX and Audi Q7.

2019 Acura TLX PMC Edition

In December 2013, Acura showed a special Sport Hybrid SH-AWD version of the RLX sedan. It had a 310-horsepower V6 engine and two electric motors that together made 377 horsepower. The new RLX Sport Hybrid went on sale in mid-2014.

2014–present

In January 2014, Acura showed the all-new 2015 TLX sports sedan. This new car replaced the TSX and TL sedans. The TLX with the 2.4-liter engine came with Acura's new eight-speed dual-clutch transmission. The more powerful 3.5-liter V6 model came with a new nine-speed transmission and Super-Handling All Wheel Drive (SH-AWD). The TLX went on sale in the summer of 2014.

In 2015, Acura redesigned the ILX for the 2016 model year. It now only came with a 2.4-liter engine and an 8-speed dual-clutch transmission. It also got Acura's special Jewel Eye LED headlights, updated wheels, and new packages like AcuraWatch (which includes safety features) and A-Spec (for a sportier look).

The 2016 RDX was also redesigned. It had the same 3.5-liter engine with some small changes for better fuel efficiency and more power. The RDX also got the Acura Jewel Eye LED headlights. A new Advance Package was offered with features like parking sensors and remote start.

Racing

Acura has been involved in American motorsports almost since it started. They have raced in series like the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) and IMSA GT Championship. In 1991, Acura teamed up with Comptech Racing to use the V6 engine from the Acura NSX in their race cars. Acura won the championship in its first year, including a class win at the 24 Hours of Daytona. Acura and Comptech won the championships again in 1992 and 1993.

Comptech's 1992 Spice-Acura IMSA GT Championship competitor.

Later, Acura moved into touring car racing. They joined Realtime Racing in the SCCA Speed World Challenge with the NSX in 1996. In 1997, Acura added Integra cars to lower classes and won championships in both. Realtime won the touring championship with the Integra again in 1998 and 2000.

In 2001, NSX cars returned to the top class. By 2002, Acura replaced the Integra with the new Acura RSX in the final races. At the same time, Acura stopped racing the NSX in the top GT class. The RSX cars were later joined by new Acura TSXs in 2004. Realtime Racing continues to race the RSX and TSX in the SCCA Speed World Challenge. Acura also races RSXs and TSXs in the Grand American Road Racing Association's KONI Challenge Series.

Highcroft Racing's ARX-01a.

At the Detroit Auto Show in 2006, Acura announced plans to enter the American Le Mans Series with special race cars in 2007. These cars would use American-built Acura V8 engines, which was a first for Acura and Honda. Acura also planned to take the cars to the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2008.

The three Acura-powered race cars made their debut at the 2007 12 Hours of Sebring. They were very successful. One Acura car finished second overall and first in its class. Acura then started developing its own race car chassis. These cars were so changed that they were named Acura ARX-01a.

In 2009, Acura made its first LMP1 race car, the Acura ARX-02a. In 2010, Honda changed the name of all Acura race cars to Honda Performance Development (HPD) cars.

Acura did not race again until 2013. In 2014, Acura ILX cars won their class at the 25 Hours of Thunderhill race. At the 2016 New York International Auto Show, Acura announced a special GT3 version of the NSX. This car started racing in 2017.

Marketing

Acura logo seen at a dealership in Canada

The Acura logo, which came out in 1990, looks like a caliper. This is a tool used for exact measurements, showing that Acura cars are built with great care. It can also look like a slanted "H" for Honda or an "A" for Acura.

Acura's current marketing slogan is "Precision Crafted Performance." Their newer car models often have special trim levels like Technology, Advance, Type-S, SH-AWD, and A-Spec. Technology and Advance models usually have the latest high-tech features, like keyless start and a blind spot information system. Type-S and SH-AWD models are made for better performance, with more horsepower.

Acura started working with Marvel Entertainment in 2010. An Acura ZDX car appeared in the movie Iron Man 2. In 2011, Acura and Marvel announced that Acura would be the official car brand of Marvel's fictional S.H.I.E.L.D. organization. Several Acura models then appeared in movies like Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger. In the 2012 movie, The Avengers, Iron Man drove a special Acura sports car made just for the film.

From 1995 to 2007, Acura sponsored two WTA Tour tennis tournaments, both called the Acura Classic. In 2012, Acura was a main sponsor of the Sundance Film Festival.

Acura also has a 'Mobility Program' to help drivers with disabilities. This program offers money to help pay for special equipment that disabled drivers might need for their cars.

Acura was the official shirt sponsor of the Columbus Crew soccer team from 2017 to 2020.

Current models

• 2000–present MDX (mid-size crossover SUV)
• 2006–present RDX (compact crossover SUV)
• 1985–2001, 2022–present Integra (compact liftback sedan, replaces ILX)
• 2014–present TLX (Executive sedan, replaces TL and TSX)

Discontinued models

• 2014–2020 RLX (Mid-size luxury executive sedan, replaces RL)
• 2009–2013 ZDX (crossover SUV, stopped selling in 2014 due to low sales)
• 2005–2011 CSX (compact sedan, replacement for the EL; only available in Canada, replaced by the ILX)
• 2003–2014 TSX (compact sports sedan, sport wagon, replaced by the TLX)
• 2002–2006 RSX (sports coupe, replacement for third generation Integra, replaced by the TSX)
• 1997–2005 EL (compact sedan, replaced Integra sedan; only available in Canada, replaced by the CSX)
• 1997–1999, 2001–2003 CL (luxury coupe, stopped selling after 2003)
• 1996–2014 TL (mid-size sports sedan, replaced by the TLX)
• 1996–2012 RL (full-size sedan, stopped selling after 2012, replaced by the RLX)
• 1996–1999 SLX (SUV, rebadged Isuzu Trooper, replaced by the MDX; only available in the United States)
• 1992–1994 Vigor (mid-sized sedan, replaced by the TL)
• 1985–1995 Legend (luxury sedan and coupe, renamed RL for 1996)
• 1991–2005, 2017–2022 NSX (Exotic sports car)
• 2013–2022 ILX (Compact executive sedan, successor to the CSX and Integra)
• 2017–2022 CDX (small luxury SUV, only available in China)

US sales

See Also

In Spanish: Acura para niños

• Honda