Acura told dealers recently that an upcoming crossover vehicle is still on track for a late 2009 debut according to a report in Automotive News. The new vehicle is part of Acura's strategy to become a "Tier 1" luxury brand. In other words, it wants to compete directly with BMW, Lexus and Mercedes-Benz.
Spy photos of the new Acura crossover show a sleek design that clearly favors style over utility. With the MDX already taking care of the larger three-row segment of market, it looks as though Acura is gunning for buyers who might otherwise go for something like the BMW X6 or Infiniti FX. Both are niche players, so consider this new crossover a small part of Acura's grander strategy to attain Tier 1 status.
orangutan says:
07:47 AM, 02/ 2/09
I'll consider it yet another complete failure in Acura's attempts to compete with BMW, Mercedes, and Infiniti.
dougtheeng says:
08:50 AM, 02/ 2/09
Given the recent look of Acura models, I'm guessing this picture with the cladding is the best look for the crossover.
audisport says:
12:30 PM, 02/ 2/09
So is Audi considered a "Tier 1" luxury car in edmunds' eyes?
4g63 says:
01:53 PM, 02/ 2/09
Acura will never be a thread to the German unless it has a V8. I mean.. even Hyundai and Kia has a very nice V8 now. What's up with Honda?????
adavis2493 says:
02:29 PM, 02/ 2/09
With the New TL, RDX, and MDX, who knows how abnormal this one will look.....
allcarsrcool says:
04:04 PM, 02/ 2/09
could this be based on the crossover/ accord wagon honda is supposed to be developing?
firstwagon says:
04:51 PM, 02/ 2/09
Looks heavy and bulky enough to be the new Accord wagon.
ledwinka says:
05:03 PM, 02/ 2/09
As an Acura owner, I don't think that it can compete with Germans. Heck, as 4g63 mentioned, even Hyundai and Kia has V8 in their arsenal. Moreover, Kia will have a FR sedan like the Genesis next year, while Honda is fiddling with V8. Although I admire Honda for its technical edge, I cannot say the same for their marketing and planning abilities. In this pace, Acura will be swamped by late comers. BTW, Hyundai is said to be planning to launch a BMW 7 fighter in the US later this year in the form of Equus. What is up with that??
cwmoo740 says:
05:55 PM, 02/ 2/09
Yeah, well Acura was supposed to put a V8 or V10 in the 2010 NSX, but they decided to axe that and keep the squashed cockroach car... I mean crossover. It probably won't matter anyway if Acura design keeps up the way it's going.
benzona says:
02:58 PM, 02/25/09
I saw the car transported on a flat bed. I looked up the company www.Dealerschoiceautotransport.com but could not find any pictures on their website.