Philisophe

The RLX has not sold well and for that reason, it might not be directly replaced. It is meant to compete with the Mercedes-Benz S-Class and BMW 5 Series, but like the Lexus GS, it is mostly overlooked by buyers in this size segment.

As for the RLX Sport hybrid, this petrol-electric version of Honda's most expensive sedan went on sale in North America in the third quarter of 2014 for that region's 2015 model year. Cars were also shipped to China at around the same time. These are the RLX's main markets although sells in only the smallest volumes in both the US and China.

Unlike the RLX, the Sport Hybrid has all-wheel drive. Its power output is 370hp and the gearbox is a seven-speed, dual-clutch transmission. The rear wheels get one electric motor each, while the third is integrated into the engine as a combination motor and generator. The petrol engine is a naturally aspirated V6.

The Acura RLX Sport Hybrid is sold in Japan as the Honda Legend Hybrid.



There is a facelift for the 2018 model year.


This car went on sale earlier in November.



Production will probably end in 2020.



Given how few units of the current model are sold, it is hard to see how Honda can justify developing a direct successor

. Instead, the RLX and RLX Sport Hybrid might simply be discontinued with a larger sedan launched in an attempt to maintain a presence in the luxury four-door segment.


An alternative might be for Honda to try its luck with a fastback along the lines of the Audi A7 or else a hardtop-style sedan - think Mercedes-Benz CLS. Clearly, a four-door sedan just doesn't work.

The WLX is expected to be a 5.2m long sedan based on the Acura Precision Concept.

The speculatively named WLX is expected to be a 5.2m long sedan designed to take on the likes of the Lexus LS, Cadillac CT6 and Lincoln Continental.

It might also step in for the smaller RLX too if that car fails to be directly replaced.

The WLX would be mostly sold in China and the US, but manufactured in Japan

. The Precision Concept which premiered at January 2016's Detroit auto show is believed to be the inspiration for a potential production car's styling.

The car's interior is likely to be similar to the Acura Precision Cockpit which premiered at the LA auto show in November 2016.



The WLX will probably be added to the Acura line-up for the 2019 model year although it might not appear until CY2019. Expect it to be a hybrid, powered by a petrol V6 and electric motors.

Malibu Flyer

Very interesting news although given the preliminary nature we need to take this news with a large grain of salt. Has anyone else heard any rumors about a new model to compete with a S class Benz? Acura will need to up its game on the interior finishes and infotainment system if they are serious in competing top of the line Benz, BMW and Lexus. Given the cost of these models and the aggressive cost of options, Acura's MO of making most upgrades on other brands as standard, I think they will be able to offer a cost effective option. They have yet to show though that they want to and can compete with the top end interiors and luxury features of this competition.

Count me as hopeful but cautious until it becomes more real.

Philisophe

Agreed...I found the article of interest..

Acura is Becoming more like Porsche ..meaning an SUV manufacturer that also sells Sedans...I like My RLX but will have to see something magical in 2019

neuronbob

Source?

Wouldn't surprise me to see RLX production end.

Would love to see a snappy-looking fastback like the Precision Concept.

Realistically, Acura soldiers on with SUVs, including a new small one, since that's what the peeps want.

DuvShack

Philisophe

ANALYSIS - How Honda sees the future of Acura_??_???

Philisophe

ANALYSIS - How Honda sees the future of Acura

2017-11-20 18:10:50来源：Just Auto分类：国际阅读(1)Honda's next Acura model for China will be the TLX-L, seen here as a prototypeHonda's next Acura model for China will be the TLX-L, seen here as a prototype

Can a luxury brand which after 31 years is only a moderate success in North America, is absent from Europe and Japan and builds only two models in China be considered a successful one? Acura has always promised much but not always delivered, at least not compared to Lexus and Infiniti, each of which it blazed the trail for. In this first of three features, just-auto looks at what is ahead for Honda Motor's brands.

Far and away the largest market for Honda's upscale division has always been the USA. Starting out with the Legend sedan in 1986, Acura failed to build on that car's success by matching Toyota and Nissan's leap into the segment above with their first Lexus LS and Infiniti Q45 sedans a few years later. Instead, Honda put an Acura badge on the NSX, Integra and various other models, creating a range which ever since has stood out for its odd choice of models.

Hybrids have come and gone, a couple of SUVs have done well over several generations, there have been no PHEVs or EVs and the brand's only small crossover remains a China-only model. No wonder that Acura is an unknown in much of the world, and looks like a brand which even Honda itself doesn't quite understand.

Take Japan. Here, Mercedes-Benz is top dog, having sold 55,642 in the year to the end of October. Toyota needs to work on models which would be more popular with local buyers, but even so, Lexus is a success at home, having delivered 34,861 vehicles during the same period, making it the country's number two luxury make. So there is volume to be had and money to be made. Yet Honda appears to have little interest in rolling out Acura in its homeland.

At least it is at last starting to see the opportunity in China, even if the approach it has taken is way too conservative. Yes, it must run everything past its local partner, Guangzhou Automobile but is selling 8,138 locally made vehicles in a market of 20,224,500 (1 Jan-30 Sep) a sign of success or over-cautiousness? Toyota manages to find buyers for some five times that number of Lexus models, each one a high-priced import. Once a local Lexus manufacturing operation is launched, Honda will find things even tougher. At the moment, Toyota has no official plans to do this but it must certainly have been in discussions with its partners over this for a few years now.

The truly ironic thing is that Honda manages to humiliate not only Toyota but Nissan too, every month when it sells vast numbers of Honda SUVs and cars - far more than either of its giant rivals can manage. If only some of that sales magic could rub off on the Acura brand.



In the US, the year to date sales tally is 126,824 units, placing it just adrift of Cadillac.The picture in North America is much brighter, although there was a 1.3 per cent sales dip in October to 12,698 registrations. Year to date, the total is 126,824, placing it just adrift of Cadillac (127,777), another brand which lacks SUVs in the C and B segments. Equivalent totals for other luxury or near-luxury brands are as follows:

Jaguar: 33,119Tesla: 44,720 (estimated)Porsche: 45,952Land Rover: 59,958Volvo: 63,974Lincoln: 91,631Infiniti: 124,010Buick: 178,972Audi: 180,339Lexus: 242,553BMW: 243,383Mercedes-Benz: 298,878Cars

The ILX is Acura's smallest sedan but it wasn't the first such model. Prior to the arrival of this car in pre-production form at the Detroit auto show in January 2012, Honda had experimented with the CSX, a restyled Civic sedan which was restricted to Canada. This was available there between 2005 and 2011.

The production version of the ILX premiered at the Chicago show in February 2012 so is now coming to the end of its life. It first went on sale in North American markets in May 2012 and was built alongside the Civic at Honda's Greensburg, Indiana plant. There was a production switch to Marysville, Ohio in January 2015.

While this also was Acura's first hybrid vehicle but there are now instead two other powertrains. The four-cylinder engines are a 2.0-litre and a 2.4-litre, the 1.5-litre+electric motor hybrid powertrain having been discontinued at the end of American Honda's 2014 model year due to poor sales.

The ILX also serves as the replacement for the larger TSX, which was discontinued at the end of North America's 2014 model year. This car was imported from Japan, which, until the weakening of the yen from late 2012 onwards, had been causing profitability challenges for American Honda.



The ILX successor should use the same platform as the tenth generations of the Civic and Accord.As well as the US, the car is also sold in Canada and Mexico. Exports to China commenced in December 2012. The car's local debut was at the Chengdu motor show in August 2012.

The ILX did not live up to American Honda's sales expectations during its first year on the market, something the division attributed to the lack of an automatic option for 2.4-litre variants.

The 2016MY ILX was revealed at the LA auto show in November 2014: there was more power and a mid-life facelift. The ILX was carried over for the 2017 model year and there are only minor changes for the 2018 model year, including a limited edition.

The ILX successor should use the same platform as the tenth generations of the Civic and Accord. It is due out in the third quarter of 2018 for North America's 2019 model year.

The sedan above the ILX is the Accord-based TLX. This replaced the Accord-based TL. It was first seen as the TLX Prototype at the Detroit auto show in January 2014. American Honda began selling the car in front- and all-wheel drive forms from the second half of the year for its 2015 model year. Along with the ILX, the TLX was also the effective successor for the TSX, which was discontinued at the end of the 2014 model year.

The restyled, 2018 TLX was first seen at the New York auto show back in April. A long-wheelbase TLX then premiered a few days later in prototype form at the Shanghai motor show (see image). The production version will be manufactured by GAC Honda, also known as Guangqi Honda and GHAC. This JV between Guangzhou Auto and Honda Motor builds only one other Acura model, the CDX. It may eventually begin exporting both to North American markets.

The replacements for the TLX and TLX-L sedans are expected to appear from 2020. Unlike the current model, a four-cylinder turbo engine should be available. There will likely also be a hybrid powertrain for both cars.

A preview of the replacement for the Acura RL had its global debut at the New York auto show in April 2012, in the form of the RLX concept. The production model would follow in early 2013, American Honda stated in July 2012. It had its debut at the LA auto show in November 2012. Cars began reaching dealers in the US, the first market, in March 2013. The RLX went on sale in China three months later.



The RLX gains a ten-speed automatic transmission for the 2018 model year.The first North American model year for the Acura RLX was 2014. In this region, the standard engine was originally a 310hp 3.5-litre V6 with drive to the front wheels only through a six-speed automatic gearbox.

A facelifted model was seen for the first time at California's Monterey Automotive Week in August. It also gained a ten-speed automatic transmission for the 2018 model year.

The RLX has not sold well and for that reason, it might not be directly replaced.

As for the RLX Sport hybrid, this petrol-electric version of Honda's most expensive sedan went on sale in North America in the third quarter of 2014 for that region's 2015 model year. Cars were also shipped to China at around the same time. These are the RLX's main markets although sells in only the smallest volumes in both the US and China.

Unlike the RLX, the Sport Hybrid has all-wheel drive. Its power output is 370hp and the gearbox is a seven-speed, dual-clutch transmission. The rear wheels get one electric motor each, while the third is integrated into the engine as a combination motor and generator. The petrol engine is a naturally aspirated V6.

The Acura RLX Sport Hybrid is sold in Japan as the Honda Legend Hybrid.

There is a facelift for the 2018 model year. This car went on sale earlier in November. Production will probably end in 2020. Given how few units of the current model are sold, it is hard to see how Honda can justify developing a direct successor. Instead, the RLX and RLX Sport Hybrid might simply be discontinued with a larger sedan launched in an attempt to maintain a presence in the luxury four-door segment.



The WLX is expected to be a 5.2m long sedan based on the Acura Precision Concept.The speculatively named WLX is expected to be a 5.2m long sedan designed to take on the likes of the Volvo S90, Cadillac CT6 and Lincoln Continental and possibly to also step in for the smaller RLX too. It would be mostly sold in China and the US, but manufactured in Japan. The Precision Concept which premiered at January 2016's Detroit auto show is believed to be the inspiration for a potential production car's styling.

The car's interior is likely to be similar to the Acura Precision Cockpit which premiered at the LA auto show in November 2016.

The WLX will probably be added to the Acura line-up for the 2019 model year.

SUVs

The CDX is a Civic-based crossover. Honda wishes it to be thought of as a rival for the Audi Q3, Infiniti QX30 and BMW X1. Built exclusively in China, it entered production at GHAC's ZengCheng #2 plant in Guangzhou during June 2016, following its world premiere two months previously at the Beijing motor show. The car is powered by a turbocharged 1.5-litre petrol engine in combination with an eight-speed automatic gearbox.

Honda is said to be considering either having the CDX built in the US, Canada or Mexico, or importing it to the North American region from China. For the moment, American Honda does not offer the CDX.

GHAC (Guangqi Honda Automobile Co., Ltd.) is Honda's JV partner for the manufacture of Acura vehicles in the PRC. In Chinese, Guangqi is short for Guangzhou Automobile. The CDX was the first Acura vehicle to be made in China.

A facelift is due to appear in 2019 as is a CDX Hybrid. Three years later, a second generation CDX should be revealed. This car will use the same architecture.

In North America, the smallest SUV is the RDX. The current model had its global debut in pre-production form ('2013 RDX prototype') at the Detroit auto show in January 2012. The production model followed at the Chicago show the following month and build got underway at East Liberty, also in February 2012.

The RDX is powered by a standard 273hp 3.5-litre V6 (the old model came only with a turbocharged 240hp 2.3-litre four-cylinder) and the sole transmission is a six-speed automatic.

North American sales of the 2013 RDX commenced in April 2012. The facelifted 2016 model year RDX premiered at the Chicago auto show in February 2015. There are only minor updates for the 2018 RDX and this should the current 2AS series' final year.



The next RDX, (codename: 2DU) should use the same platform as the tenth generation Civic and Accord.The next RDX, (codename: 2DU) should use the same platform as the tenth generation Civic and Accord. As well as being built in Japan, it is also expected to be made in China by the Guangqi Honda joint venture. The V6 engine of the current model is said to be being replaced by a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine.

Expect the next model to have its world premiere at a US or Chinese motor show during 2018.

Confusingly, the MDX is a larger and more expensive model than the MDX. The latest generation of this SUV entered production at American Honda's Lincoln, Alabama plant in May 2013. The former MDX was made at the Alliston 2 plant in Ontario.

American Honda announced the production switch in November 2011, stating at the same time that it would spend US$84m to expand the facility's engine and vehicle production capacity to 340,000 units annually. The plant also gained a third stamping line.

Due to growing demand, Honda announced in February 2015 that it would begin dual sourcing the MDX from 2017: the SUV would also be made at at East Liberty in Ohio. Honda spent US$85 million on the East Liberty Plant (ELP) for the addition of welding equipment, the extension of vehicle conveyors and other changes required to support production of the MDX. ELP began building the MDX in May.

The current model was previewed by the 2014 MDX Prototype which had its global debut at the Detroit auto show in January 2013. American Honda confirmed at the show that both front- and all-wheel drive variants would be available, with power coming from a 3.5-litre V6. This produces 290hp compared to the old car's 300hp 3.7-litre V6. Due to less overall weight, performance and economy are better.

The production version of the MDX was revealed at the New York auto show in March 2013. American Honda positions the MDX as a rival for the Lexus RX and BMW X5.

For the 2016 model year, a nine-speed automatic gearbox replaced the six-speed transmission. The 2016MY MDX went on sale in February 2015. The facelifted, 2017 model year MDX premiered at the New York auto show in March 2016.

While the US and Canada have always been the MDX's main markets, Honda also exports this SUV to China. The facelifted model went on sale there in June 2017.

The MDX Sport Hybrid, a rival for the Lexus RX 450h, had its world premiere at the New York auto show in March 2016. It debuted alongside a mid-life facelift for the rest of the MDX line-up. This petrol-electric SUV is powered by a 3.0-litre V6 driving all four wheels via a seven-speed DCT. The battery sits below the middle-row passengers.

The dual clutch transmission has an integrated electric motor powering the front wheels, while two electric motors provide drive to the rear wheels. Additionally, the system delivers electrified torque vectoring for improved straight line performance and cornering precision. Peak powertrain output of 325 horsepower is up 35 horsepower over the non-hybrid model. The MDX Sport Hybrid was new for North America's 2017 model year.

The next MDX is expected to be revealed and go on sale in the US, its largest potential market, in late 2019. There might well be a long-wheelbase variant too.

Sports cars



Honda is said to be developing the an additional sports car, mainly for the US.Honda is said to be developing the an additional sports car, mainly for the US. The 'ZSX' would compete with the follow up to the Subaru BRZ and Toyota (GT)86. As for a production location, some sources claim the model would be built in Ohio alongside the Acura/Honda NSX.

The firm told the media in October 2015 that it had been working on a potential all-electric sports car powered by four electric motors, but that it was still trying to establish the business case for such a model. Honda is also said to be considering using the ZSX model name for this car. MSX is said to be another possibility. The car should go on sale during CY2019.

Acura's only current sports car had a particularly long gestation. The HSC concept from the 2003 Tokyo and 2004 Detroit shows respectively, was originally thought to be a lightly disguised NSX replacement for 2006. In July 2005, however, Honda announced that the NSX replacement was '3 to 4 years away' but would be powered by a V10 engine.

The Advanced Sports Car concept at the 2007 Detroit show previewed the styling of this aborted project. It had a front-mounted V10 although no displacement was disclosed.

The new model had been expected to use an update of the all-wheel drive former Honda Legend/Acura RL's architecture. The car itself was delayed several times but was said to be on track for a debut at the 2009 Tokyo motor show. However, in December 2008, Honda axed the project. Instead, the car evolved into a racing model, the HSV-10, which debuted in Japan in early 2010.

The project had been revived, Honda stated at the Tokyo motor show in November 2011. An Acura NSX concept then following at the Detroit auto show in January 2012. A production variant would be launched as an Acura in North America during 2014, American Honda stated in May 2013. It would be powered by a mid-mounted V6 driving all four wheels. There would be three electric motors as well. The car's batteries would be mounted in the transmission tunnel.

The new model would be manufactured in a bespoke, low-volume plant in central Ohio, American Honda told the media at the 2012 Detroit auto show. This facility is within American Honda's former logistics centre. Engines come from the nearby Anna powertrain plant but the block and heads are imported from England as these are cast by Cosworth. American Honda calls the NSX factory 'Performance Manufacturing Center' (PMC).

In certain markets, the car is sold with Honda badging, just as the old shape NSX was. A potential convertible was previewed by a car which appeared in the April 2012 release of the film, The Avengers. This body style is expected to be added later in the decade, and a Type R variant should also join the line-up.

The NSX had its global debut as an Acura at the Detroit auto show in January 2015, followed two months later at the Geneva show by the Honda NSX. The cars are powered by a biturbo 75-degree V6. Drive goes to all wheels via a nine-speed dual-clutch automatic. Of the three electric motors, two drive the front wheels. Total power is 427kW and torque is 646Nm.

The space-frame chassis is made from aluminium and high-strength steel, and has a carbon fibre floor. The body panels are composed of a combination of aluminium and sheet moulding composite (SMC). The front tyres are 19" in diameter with the rears being 20".

Acura told the media that series production of the NSX would be delayed until "spring 2016" due to engineering challenges associated with a decision to shift the engine from a transverse to a longitudinal location. American Honda publicised the car's technical details in October 2015.

Series production finally commenced in May 2016. In August 2016, Honda announced that the car would not be on sale in Japan until February 2017. Cars for LHD European countries, where the NSX is also a Honda, began to reach there in December 2016. The Acura NSX went on sale in China in December 2016 priced at the then equivalent of US$420,000 (CNY2.89m).



Honda is expected to make the next generation NSX fully electric.After a facelifted model is released in 2020, production should continue for another three years. Honda is expected to make the next generation NSX fully electric.

Summary

Acura has always been the What if? luxury brand. What if Honda would decide to go after Audi, BMW and Mercedes? Fill in the yawning gaps in the Acura model line-up. Such as: a big sedan above the RLX (one is said to be under development); SUVs to match the BMW X1-X7 line-up, plug-in hybrid powertrains, a fuel cell vehicle to replace or supplement the high tech yet tragically ungainly Honda Clarity; a couple of fastbacks to match the Audi A5 and A7 Sportbacks. That would be a good start.

Honda being Honda, it probably won't seek to be so aggressive with Acura. Plus, this is already an extremely rich firm which, although it could in theory one day become as large as Toyota Motor Corporation, it probably won't. Honda likes to do things its own way, and size has never been a factor when making major decisions over future models and associated spending. This does all seem a shame though, as a brand which has the breathtaking in every sense NSX supercar in its line-up, cannot seem to find the will or ability to take that model's magic and worldwide fame, and sprinkle it over a perplexingly small number of good but not terribly memorable other Acura models.

neuronbob

I merged your threads, Philisophe, because the information is related. Thanks for the interesting find. WLX must be something mostly meant for China (even if the article indicates it could be sold in the USA) given there's no talk about it at all in the American media.

Philisophe

With My conversations with my close Japanese Friends here at Honda ..the directions for the Chinese and the US market are not too far apart......Many times I have been informed..."its Honda's Way "



As for the American Media...

Acura has always been after the fact..

I was aware of the changes on the 2018 RLX long before the Media made any announcements...



The most troubling aspect is when they decide to remove/modify RLX ( I remember My RL experience) The value of the vehicle will drop like a rock

George Knighton

I think that if the WLX is made in China, we will not see it.

If Saiyama is converted for WLX production or a Legend based on the WLX, I think we might get it since importing them won't hurt anything.

By the time we get to 2020 production, there will be a steep tariff on manufactured Chinese goods, and Honda would view it as a bad idea considering the paucity of sales in that segment.

I think.

But what do I know.