Acura has officially announced that it will add a Sport Wagon version of the TSX sedan to its lineup next fall. Already on sale in other markets as the Accord Touring, the TSX Sport Wagon will likely get all the same specs as the current sedan. Acura says it will provide further details as the on sale date gets closer.
Just after last week's Tokyo Auto Show, IL News Editor Kelly Toepke had a chance to participate in a roundtable discussion with Honda's new president Takanobu Ito.
He laid out several of Honda's goals in the coming years as well as explaining some of the reasons for his actions so far. Here are some of the most memorable quotes from the conversation.
In response to a question on his expected time line for hydrogen-powered cars:
"My wish, within 10 years. Please tell your government to build more hydrogen stations."
"Hydrogen stations are not being built as fast as we had hoped, so we have to prepare ourselves with battery EVs."
Regarding the cancellation of the NSX:
"I'm the one that stopped that program."
"I personally would love to develop another sports car, but if our wish is to come true we need to overcome two challenges:
1. Bad economy, need more profit to have freedom to build new cars.
2. Need to develop new green technologies. One we have an abundance of cash, we will develop a green sports car, not like the car Lexus announced yesterday."
And finally his view of the Acura brand:
"There's a certain level of confusion within the Acura line-up, we're in the midst of a big change. Post-Lehman we dropped the larger-than-V6 engine, and have to adjust to new consumer demands."
Photo source: de Ferran Motorsports
Veteran driver Gil de Ferran will retire from professional racing at the end of the 2009 ALMS season, and in tribute to his career, he will serve as "Grand Marshal" of Laguna Seca at the last race of the season there on October 10.
De Ferran has his own ALMS team (de Ferran Motorsports), and he and co-driver Simon Pagenaud drive the number 66 XM Radio Acura ARX-02a in the LMP1 class. For this last race only, the car will wear the all-white livery of Jim Hall's Chaparral cars. De Ferran credits Hall as a mentor, and both he and two of the Chaparral cars will be present at the race, along with the yellow Pennzoil that de Ferran drove in his first IndyCar victory (1995 at Laguna). De Ferran won IndyCar crowns with Penske Honda in 2000 and 2001, and the Indianapolis 500 in 2003.
Of course, there will be all sorts of festivities the weekend of the Monterey Sports Car Championships, and de Ferran will have the honor of giving the "start your engines" command.
Although not confirmed yet by anyone at Acura, the possibility of an all-wheel-drive version of the V6-powered TSX looks good. When asked if such a car was in the works at a press event, one Acura executive said they're definitely looked at such a setup, but nothing was set in stone.
So it's hardly a done deal, but Acura doesn't go around '"looking at possibilities" without having some kind of solid game plan behind it. We expect to see an all-wheel-drive version of the TSX V6 by next year.
The new front-wheel-drive 2010 Acura RDX will go on sale tomorrow.
Pricing starts at $32,520, and fuel economy is rated at 19 mpg in the city and 24 when cruising the highway. The RDX gets a standard 240-horsepower 2.3-liter inline-4 engine mated to a five-speed automatic transmission. We'll see if its "distinct" grille from the Acura parts bin grows on people. It's doubtful.
Check out the refreshed 2010 Acura MDX. Although it retains the overall shape and look of the 2007-2009 model years, it does have a few aesthetic and mechanical changes that should be noted.
An aggressive new grille and different mirrors from Acura's newest parts bin are the most noticeable alterations, although the designers did also tweak the front and rear bumpers, hood, side sills and tail lamps.
The 3.7-liter V6 powerplant still has 300 horsepower, and torque drops from 275 to 270 pound-feet. A new six-speed Sequential SportShift tranny helps bump both mpg up one mpg to a 16/21 rating. New gearing supposedly gives the mid-size crossover more umph off the line.
The interior receives a thicker sport steering wheel with paddles, more LED lighting, a rearview camera and a VGA nav screen.
More pics of the refreshed and kind-of-purple MDX after the jump.
Continue reading Acura Gives MDX a Facelift for 2010.
Ten days ago we brought you news of a refreshed 2010 Acura RDX with the new corporate grille and a lower-priced front-wheel-drive model. Today, Acura has posted pricing and EPA data for the 2010 RDX on its consumer web site.
And that front-drive 2010 RDX does whittle the price down. It carries a base price of $32,520 (rising to $33,330 with $810 destination) versus $33,895 ($34,705 with dest) for a base 2009 RDX on which all-wheel drive was standard.
And as hoped, the front-drive RDX is more fuel-efficient, too, with a 19 mpg city/24 mpg highway rating, versus the 17/22 rating for the all-wheel-drive RDX.
If you do want AWD, it's now a little more expensive to get it, as the base SH-AWD RDX costs $34,520 (the price shown in the pic), or $35,330 with destination. This is an increase of $625.
Adding the Technology package (navigation plus the Panasonic ELS audio system) to either a front-drive or AWD 2010 Acura RDX increases your bottom line by $3,100.
These are the first official pictures of the 2010 Acura ZDX crossover, a vehicle you might remember from the 2009 New York Auto Show where it appeared as a concept.
As you can see, not much has changed. Acura calls its styling "provocative" and "segment bending," both of which would be true if BMW hadn't already introduced its X6.
Still, it's a big step for Acura, as the ZDX is essentially a vehicle that will largely rely on its styling to entice buyers more so than sheer practicality or value. Not that it won't have plenty of either, as the ZDX gets essentially the same drivetrain and interior as the new TL sedan. That means a 300-horsepower 3.7-liter V6 and Acura's Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD) along with a well-trimmed interior stocked with the latest technology. Sales begin later this year.
2009 New York Auto show: Acura ZDX Concept
In the same issue that detailed Chrysler's plans for a new RWD midsize sedan, Automotive News also reports that Honda's new CEO sees no future in rear-wheel drive sedans, even for its Acura luxury brand.
"I don't think we need a classic front-engine, rear-drive car," Honda CEO Takanobu Ito said at his first press conference. "It would be meaningless to emulate what other companies have been doing for more than five decades."
So Honda says RWD sedans are a pointless investment while Dodge is building yet another one. Should be interesting to see who comes out on top here.
Automotive News: Honda chief says "we don't need rwd sedans"
An Acura fansite has posted pictures and information on the upcoming 2010 Acura RDX. The turbocharged compact SUV not only gets Acura's new corporate grille, it also adds a FWD model that should deliver slightly better mileage than the surprisingly thirsty AWD version.
Other changes include an upgraded AcuraLink system, a USB iPod connection and rear view camera that doesn't require the pricey technology package.
How many times have you heard it? "All the TSX needs is more motor." Well, now it has such a powerplant in the form of an optional 3.5-liter V6. It cranks out 280-horsepower and 254 pound-feet of torque and sends it through a five-speed automatic transmission.
Is it the cure for what the TSX was lacking? Executive Editor Michael Jordan spent some time behind the wheel of one and came away impressed with its performance. That said, he still questions if it was the right path for Acura to take given America's newfound love of all things efficient.
Detroit might be down, but it is also out -- very, very out there. And by "Detroit," we mean, of course, the cosmopolitan hot spot of Howell, MI.
That's where our spy shooter snapped off these exclusive shots of this, um, Acura Integra Speedster four-door. We presume this is an homage to either the spectacular Lincoln Continental four-door convertibles of the '60s or the result of prolonged effects of the brown acid, also of the '60s.
Sure, this may look like a back-yard hack-job, but the details reveal that it is, in fact, a back-yard hack-job. For example, by keeping portions of the broken glass in place even after the backlight has been smashed out, the builder is giving a knowing nod to the car's origins. And the structural(-ish) re-enforcement ties the cut-down A-pillar to the rear bulkhead for no real reason. And note that the builder has also substituted a shorty windshield in traditional speedster fashion because leaving the full-height windshield on this baby would look, you know, stupid. Capping it all off is a little home-brewed windblocker fashioned of a sheet of "cardboard." This material sandwiches a piece of corrugated material between its two faces for improved rigidity.
Nice.
Writing about the best used performance cars for $5,000 was a challenge. At that price point, you're either going to get lucky and find a gem, or get unlucky and end up shelling out another $5,000 to keep a basket case running.
So with that in mind, we decided to bump the price floor to $10K to start and see what we could find. The talent pool is much deeper for sure, although the possibility of a clunker is still there if you're not careful.
So take a look at our list and see what you think. Anything we missed?
The 10 Best Used Cars for Less Than $9,999
It's not as simple as you might think. Base price is one thing, but depreciation, insurance, gas costs factor in there too. Edmunds own John Giamalvo spoke with CNBC recently and profiled several cars that represent the best value in their segment.
CNBC On the Money: The Four "Best Value" Cars on the Road
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