Acura to Tweak ILX Compact Sedan to Improve Mediocre Sales

Much to the dismay of Acura, the ILX hasn't exactly been the success Honda's near-luxury brand expected it to be selling a little over 12,000 units in 2012, or less than half than the 30,000 originally targeted. That's something Acura freely admits.

"The ILX is not hitting our sales expectations," American Honda President John Mendel told reported at November’s Los Angeles Auto Show, according to Wards Auto. "Consumers have told us they like the 2.4L and they wish they had an automatic, but they say the midrange vehicle is underpowered and they don’t see the value in it."

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Acura's Supercharged ILX Street Build Concept and ILX Endurance Racer

Making their world premiere today at the 2012 SEMA Show are two new Acura ILX compact sedan builds, one for the street and the other for the racetrack, marking the return of the Japanese brand to the Las Vegas aftermarket show after a six-year hiatus.

The 2013 ILX "Street Build" project car was made to demonstrate the customization possibilities for enthusiasts.

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Fisker Karma Once Again Lambasted by Consumer Reports in its Latest Tests

With over 8 million subscribers and more than 50 labs, Consumer Reports claims to be the world’s largest independent product-testing organization. As far as the automotive industry is concerned, falling short of CR’s standards could spell bad news or at least bad publicity for any new model.

In its latest issue, the publication tested the Ford Escape Titanium and SE compact SUVs and the Infiniti JX, while also conducting two comparison tests: one in the compact upmarket segment, where the Acura ILX faced the Buick Verano, and the other in the luxury sedan category with the Fisker Karma placed against the Porsche Panamera S.

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2013 Acura ILX and 2012 Honda CR-V Recalled Because Doors May Open "Unexpectedly"

An issue with the front door latches of the new 2012 Honda CR-V crossover and 2013 Acura ILX compact sedan is forcing Honda to voluntarily recall more than 170,000 vehicles in the United States over 20,000 in Canada.

The Japanese carmaker said that simultaneous operation of the driver's or passenger's inner door handle and either the manual or power door lock may lead to a problem that causes the door to not latch properly and possibly open unexpectedly.

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Acura Preparing Mild Facelift for 2013 ZDX Crossover

Some three years after the ZDX's world premiere at the 2009 New York Auto Show and a little less since it went on sale in the U.S. towards the end of the same year, Acura's attempt to replicate BMW's success with the X6 has proved to be a sales flop delivering a mere 1,564 units in 2011.

It’s even worse this year as Acura has sold only 416 examples of the ZDX crossover during the first six months of 2012, down 56.21 percent over the same period in 2011.

Nevertheless, Acura will try to improve the ZDX's position in the market with a mid-cycle refresh for the 2013 model year that will bring a light exterior makeover along with new technology features.

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