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FWIW, I talked to my Acura sales manager recently regarding the MDX Sport Hybrid (which I'll be buying for my wife next year), and he has been told that Acura does NOT expect to sell many MDX Sport Hybrid's and they will be produced in "small numbers similar to the RLX Sport Hybrid" for that reason.
I guess the buying public just has not developed an appreciation for the PERFORMANCE benefits of the Sport Hybrid and still view ALL hybrids as an expensive way to get better fuel economy. As the numbers posted by TSX69 suggest, this is not an Acura specific problem. Gas is cheap enough right now that very few hybrid luxury sedans are moving off the lots.
This is probably good news for me as I plan to wait until their MDX Sport Hybrid's sit on the lot for a while before I swoop in with a lowball offer - much as I did with my RLX.
Smart choice knowing what we have experienced with the RLX SH. I think Acura wants to see if SH is better accepted by their highest volume and most popular model - the MDX. Right now you can 'get on the list' via Acura.com . It is a means where they can see what the interest is, initially.
But the response on the MDX may be very different than the RLX SHs. First, the MDX is already a popular model and on the radar of many. Second I expect the press to gush on SH when introduced in the darling MDX. The press almost always favors the SHAWD MDX over FWD. Third, the NSX will already have been released and following the NSX superstar will be beneficial to the MDX.
On the contrary, the RLX was pretty much panned in the early PAWs models and the quality issues. I do not think it will recover from that, even with the mostly complimentary reviews on the SH configuration. The RLX SH has NO direct competitor (meaning a performance biased AWD hybrid premium exec sedan) near it's price-point. The MDX SH does already have competition and will have more as the Hybrid SUV segment is taking off as alternatives for SUV loving consumers. With more brands offering hybrid SUVs there will be competition. And I believe the BMW X5 hybrid will feel the impact most directly.
Right now the number of units Acura will need to steal buyers away from competition is small (i.e 300 X5 Hybrids), so it makes sense Acura builds them with restraint. But I believe that IF SH becomes a market interest, the BEST vehicle to achieve that for Acura is the MDX. It already is well known as a favorable alternative to luxury brand alternatives so it may also be a favorable alternative to the market niche of luxury SUV hybrids. Add in Honda / Acura reputation of reliability over the luxury brands and it may be a winning formula for better sales of SH configured models.
Should the MDX gain acceptance of SH in the marketplace, I would expect the TLX, and RDX would be next in line. The TLX could gain the performance boost it needs to get the attention the current SHAWD model is just shy. Ad a performance label (ie. a Type S or Type R or Type SH) would bring more street cred. The RDX would benefit by offering true SH SHAWD over the basic AWD it pirated from Honda. And since the RDX now satisfies the comfort quotient of buyers and the improved volume, the RDX may be also able to use SH to offer a performance variant parallel to the TLX scenario. I cannot speak to the ILX as it due for a next gen following the new Civic, so I will wait to see if there is SH opportunity with the ILX.
Last edited by TampaRLX-SH; 06-03-2016 at 03:56 PM.
So Acura sold twice as many NSXs last month as RLX Sport Hybrids. The RLX SH continues to be the rarest of all Acuras! Woot woot! So proud to be in such an exclusive club.
So Acura sold twice as many NSXs last month as RLX Sport Hybrids. The RLX SH continues to be the rarest of all Acuras! Woot woot! So proud to be in such an exclusive club.
If I recall correctly upward to the 1st 150 NSXs were pre-sold. And like us SH owners, buyers have waited long enough to get them. I know I waited nearly 4 years to get mine, and I expect there are NSX buyers who have waited a decade. The projection for NSX assembly was approx 80 units / month last spring. These low 1st month sales numbers make me wonder if that number cannot be achieved (yet anyway). And if they can produce 80 / month it would only take about 7 months to pass the total built RLX SH.
I would be amusing to show up at an auto meet and discuss with an NSX owner that the RLX SH is more rare than the NSX. I would think the plan was the Halo car being more rare than the top config of the flagship.
Interesting that the hybrid buyers in this segment place the RLX SH near the top sales as the months pass. Yet the RLX PAWS is so rejected in this class. Two very different mindsets of buyers? Would you think hybrid buys are more diligent in researching the vehicles (obviously there is NO SH marketing, and PAWS died off after 2014)? Personally, I know the SH is just that good. But the PAWS is not that bad (as sales numbers suggest). Two versions of one model behaving very differently in the market segment they reside.
It may be a small number, but it is a market segment. And in that market segment (premium / luxury hybrids $60K - $80K) the RLX SH has been at the top or close to the top of the list several months of the past year. Being the top of a category does not need to correlate with popularity or volume. Just more than it's competitive peers.
I think the sales of the Sport Hybrid are being driven by past SHAWD-equipped sedan owners who loved the technology and understand the benefits of the Sport Hybrid version. That is, former RL and TL SHAWD owners are finding their way to the RLX Sport Hybrid because it is the only SHAWD RLX and THEN they discover how really great the Sport Hybrid technology is.
I for one bought the Sport Hybrid version of the RLX for the SHAWD more than the traditional hybrid benefits. If the RLX was available in a "traditional" SHAWD version, I'm not sure the hybrid version would sell as well even if the technology is superior and the mileage and performance are superior. The competitors AWD versions likely outsell the RLX by a large margin (due to snob appeal and other factors discussed in this thread ad nauseum) whereas the RLX Sport Hybrid lacks that internal competition from non-hybrid AWD versions.
This all comes back to the fact that a certain percentage of the public still consider a hybrid is for better mileage only so many AWD luxury car buyers consider hybrids an unnecessary extra since they are not that worried about the cost of filling up. By the same token, a large percentage of the public consider all AWD systems equal and don't understand the benefits of the Super Handling AWD (traditional or hybrid versions).
All of that said, I am so glad that I chose the Sport Hybrid - it has been a blast to drive.
I think the sales of the Sport Hybrid are being driven by past SHAWD-equipped sedan owners who loved the technology and understand the benefits of the Sport Hybrid version. That is, former RL and TL SHAWD owners are finding their way to the RLX Sport Hybrid because it is the only SHAWD RLX and THEN they discover how really great the Sport Hybrid technology is.
That's probably more or less true in my case, having gone to the 5G Legend from a 4G TL 6-6.
But I was not prepared for this kind of acceleration, or this kind of fuel economy.
There *are* things to work on that might draw complaints from some people.
Even though you've got 74 HP working to move the car from a stop, sometimes that's still not enough.
Even though you've got a 47 HP, 250-volt starter motor and the ICE starts faster than any other hybrid, sometimes it's just not fast enough.
If you floor it and you're not in Sport Mode, sometimes it takes too long for the computer to realize that you mean business. There's a lot of noise before there is an appreciable change in performance, meaning that the computer programming isn't quite prioritized correctly.
You learn to look forward to some situations, and push the Sport Mode button to turn on the ICE ahead of merging into traffic, or ahead of passing that truck on a country road.
But...should it be like that? No, probably not.
Just stuff to work on for the future, and I wonder if we're not going to get mad when we realize that cars like the upcoming economy-driven Sport Hybrids execute the code faster and "feel" better in these same situations, even though they are slower.
^^
I completely agree with everything you said, George. That is why i mentioned i would like to see a "Normal" mode, that would take care of that hesitation......
^^
I completely agree with everything you said, George. That is why i mentioned i would like to see a "Normal" mode, that would take care of that hesitation......
That'd defeat much of the purpose of being a hybrid, though.
I think what I am after, more than anything else, is for the car to realize that the Sport Mode MAP needs to be instantly switched if you floor the accelerator.
The way it is now, there is only a quick switch to the noise emitted by the speakers and it can take a full second for the car to realize you mean business...but, even then, it is still not the Sport Mode MAP.
American Honda and Honda Division trucks have best August sales ever
Honda CR-V sets 2nd consecutive all-time sales record
Honda core models—Civic, Accord and CR-V—each top more than 30,000 sales
Honda's smallest vehicles—Fit and HR-V—post largest gains for the brand
Refreshed Acura MDX posts 8.1 percent gain to push Acura trucks up 2.5 percent in August
American Honda Motor Co., Inc. today reported strong August sales of 149,571 Honda and Acura vehicles, a 3.8 percent decrease over August 2015 due in part to the lack of the Labor Day sales weekend. American Honda trucks set a new August record, rising 4.3 percent on sales of 76,140. Honda Division sales totaled 135,325 units, with Honda trucks also setting an August record, gaining 4.5 percent on sales of 66,802. Acura Division sales were down 7 percent on sales of 14,246 units, also feeling the effects of the lost weekend. However, Acura trucks were up 2.5 percent on sales of 9,338 as new models continued to fill the pipeline.
Honda
Honda Division's August sales almost matched the same period last year without 1 of the biggest holiday sales weekends of the year. Despite the handicap, CR-V continued its record-setting ways for the 2nd straight month while all three of the brand's best-selling models (Accord, Civic and CR-V) topped 30,000 units apiece and Honda's compact HR-V and Fit posted major gains. Honda trucks posted a new August record supported by brisk sales of CR-V, HR-V and Ridgeline, while Civic and Fit drove car sales for the brand.
Honda trucks set a new August record, rising 4.5 percent with sales of 66,802 units
CR-V climbed 5 percent on sales of 36,517 for a 2nd consecutive all-time record
HR-V sales jumped 66 percent on sales of 7,580 vehicles
Civic and Fit were up 2.4 percent (32,807 sales) and 85.1 percent (5,370 sales)
"Our continued success with strong sales of both passenger cars and light trucks demonstrates once again that the key to great sales is great product," said Jeff Conrad, senior vice president and general manager of the Honda Division. "As we continue with our rapid cadence of new models, our focus will remain on selling vehicles one at a time to individual customers."
Acura
With inventories building for the new 2017 MDX, sales continue to rise as more customers experience the bold new exterior styling and expanded complement of premium features and technologies. Adding a solid result from RDX, Acura truck sales were up 2.5 percent in August, with sedan sales held back in part due to the lost holiday weekend compared to August 2015.
MDX sales increased 8.1 percent in August on sales of 5,131 units
Acura trucks were up 2.5 percent overall for the month, with 9,338 vehicles sold
The new NSX posted 22 sales in August as production continues to ramp up in Acura's new NSX global production facility
Fall Again as American Honda Reports September Sales
Oct 3, 2016 - TORRANCE, Calif.
Honda and Acura brand trucks have best-ever September sales
Honda Division posts new overall September sales mark
Honda CR-V breezes past previous September best with new record for the month
Honda passenger car sales remain strong as Civic lineup continues to grow
Acura's refreshed 2017 MDX enjoys robust 14.3 percent increase while RDX gets a new September record
American Honda Motor Co., Inc. today reported robust September sales of 133,655 Honda and Acura vehicles, a 0.1 percent decrease from September 2015. American Honda trucks set a new September record, gaining 8.5 percent on sales of 69,069 units. The Honda Division also set a new September mark, gaining 1.5 percent on total sales of 120,842 units, with Honda trucks additionally setting a new September record, rising 8.6 percent on sales of 60,220 vehicles. Acura trucks shared the record bounty as well, with an increase of 8.4 percent on sales of 8,849 units for a new September milestone.
Honda
Honda cars continued to dominate the retail market in September while Honda trucks set new sales records. The red-hot CR-V reached new heights and the new Ridgeline added still more strength for the Honda brand.
Honda Division sales reach new September milestone, gaining 1.5 percent on total sales of 120,842 cars and trucks.
Honda trucks set a new September record with an 8.6 percent gain on sales of 60,220 units.
CR-V set a new September mark—rising 6.5 percent on sales of 31,884 vehicles.
Civic held steady with 28,184 units sold, while Fit was way up over the same month a year ago, leaping 296 percent on sales of 5,068 cars.
Accord remained strong, boasting sales of 27,204 units for the month despite a challenging mid-size sedan market.
HR-V had a particularly strong September, jumping 48.7 percent on sales of 6,853 units.
"The return of a new Civic Hatchback to the Honda brand adds a fresh dimension to an already robust car lineup for 2017," said Jeff Conrad, senior vice president and general manager of the Honda Division. "The expanding 10th generation Civic roster brings new energy to the car side of our business even as our trucks continue with steady gains."
Acura
Truck sales led the way for the Acura brand with a new September record, and sales of the RDX reached a best-ever September as well. The refreshed MDX also performed strongly, with sales gaining 14.3 percent for the month as its new design continues to gain favor with buyers. TLX continues to strengthen its position and share in the challenging mid-size luxury sedan segment.
RDX notched its best September ever, gaining 1.8 percent on sales of 3,919.
With the MDX gaining significant market strength, Acura trucks sales increased 8.4 percent overall in September, with 8,849 units sold and a new record for the month.
"The success of the refreshed MDX, the first model to showcase the new Acura styling direction, is further validation of Acura's Precision Crafted Performance brand direction," said Jon Ikeda, vice president and general manager of the Acura division. "Step-by-step we are amping up performance as a signature for the brand and a clear point of difference over the competition."# # #
Sedans in general are down whereas CUVs are on the rise. In fact, he CR-V outsold the Camry, Accord & Civic last month; it probably would have outsold the Corolla too but Toyota folded the Scion iM sales with it, putting it ~400 units ahead.
Surprised the RLX Hybrid still sells as well as it does. Granted, a very niche market but I would have thought by now it would be down in the single digits with its competition. Acura could benefit from stressing their SH-SH-AWD system more, especially now that the NSX is out.
Yes, and the auto industry as a whole took a huge drop in September. Expect attractive sales through the Holidays - including newly released models. Sedans will be best deals.
Re: SH - Considering there has been NO marketing of SH (RLX, NSX or MDX) I too am surprised the RLX SH is holding relatively similar sales. Either it is just taking that long to get cars into awaiting buyers (due to supply / availability) or there is a cult (aside form ours) who desire this car. How else would anyone know of it? What is maintaining the interest of 2 dozen monthly buyers? I have yet to see another one in the wild. And out of that very small niche of luxury hybrids the RLX SH has been consistently higher sales. These buyers must be seeking this car as we did.
Perhaps Acura will produce a SH focused advert with the NSX, RLX and MDX highlighted. They are already drawing similarities between MDX and NSX in the new MDX ads (even if it just the LED taillights!)
Ultimately, they will not invest much $$$ into marketing for a product they cannot offer on a large scale.
American Honda trucks set new October sales record with both Honda and Acura trucks setting new October benchmarks
Honda CR-V has best-ever October sales
Honda Civic remains on pace for best annual sales in model history
Powering Acura's October truck record, RDX also set a new October mark and MDX jumped 14.7 percent
American Honda Motor Co., Inc. today reported October sales of 126,161 Honda and Acura vehicles, a decrease of just 4.2 percent versus October 2015 reflecting 2 less selling days than a year ago. American Honda trucks set a new October record, gaining 2.1 percent while overall sales at the Honda Division dipped slightly, by 2 percent. Both Honda and Acura trucks enjoyed a brisk October pace, setting new records for the month with gains of 1.1 and 8.4 percent respectively.
Honda
Honda light trucks enjoyed the largest gains for the month, setting a new October record with CR-V also reaching a record high and HR-V posting a substantial gain. The new Ridgeline also continued to gather strength as inventory continues to grow. Civic remained on pace to post a new annual record while Fit sales jumped in triple digits, and Accord had a strong month with over 25,000 sales in the challenging mid-size segment.
Honda trucks gained 1.1 percent on sales of 56,573 for a new October record.
CR-V also set a new October record with an increase of 4.4 percent on sales of 30,306 units.
HR-V sales climbed 46.5 percent on sales of 6,596 units.
The best-selling Civic sales crested 26,000 in October to stay on pace for a record year, buoyed by the new Civic Hatchback.
Fit sales leaped 240.5 percent on sales of 4,641 vehicles, while Accord posted another competitive month with sales of more than 25,000 units.
"The strength of the CR-V in its final days is building great momentum for the upcoming debut of the all-new 2017 model," said Jeff Conrad, senior vice president and general manager of the Honda Division. "But unique to the industry, the Honda story continues to be one of balanced strength between passenger cars and light trucks."
Acura
Acura light trucks set a new October sales record, led by the redesigned MDX with a double digit gain, even with 2 fewer selling days in the month. RDX returned to its record ways, surpassing its previous best October (2015) for another new record. The new NSX supercar posted its best month to date as the Performance Manufacturing Center, the exclusive global home for the only supercar made in America, continues to work to meet demand for this customized model.
Acura trucks climbed 8.4 percent with sales of 8,996 to set a new October record.
The new MDX posted a gain of 14.7 percent on sales of 5,052 in October.
RDX had it best October in history, rising 1.4 percent on sales of 3,944 vehicles.
"With sales of the redesigned MDX continuing to gather strength and the all-new NSX earning the Road & Track 2017 Performance Car of the Year award, we are excited about the continued momentum of the Acura brand," said Jon Ikeda, vice president and general manager of the Acura division. "We will continue to point Acura in a strong performance direction."
06-03-2016, 03:49 PM
Oct 2016
