Acura
Acura is a brand launched by the Japanese carmaker, Honda in an effort to create a luxury car brand – this has been highly successful. Acura was introduced to the North American market in 1986 and backed by the Honda reputation for reliability and engineering excellence, Acura rapidly made inroads in the market with high-specification vehicles at prices which undercut the competition, especially the European car makers (something Acura still does today). Acura launched the NSX in 1991 and this rapidly became the flagship vehicle of the Acura range – constructed from an innovative all-aluminum shell, the NSX provided the levels of specification and performance required to compete with market-leaders and then delivered the product at a much lower-price.
This tactic has been extended to all models in the Acura range which has developed in tune with customer and market developments, fashion trends and taste. Acura attempted to enter the SUV market in the 1990’s with a rebadged Isuzu but failed. In 2001, Acura attempted to enter the SUV market once more with an innovative design, high specification SUV again delivered at a much lower cost than established market leaders – the MDX has since proved a huge marketing success and is now also joined by the RDX, a compact SUV. Acura has also developed two excellent market leaders in the luxury saloon market with the mid-size TL and top-of-the-range RL.
Acura is a luxury car-maker providing high levels of equipment and performance at highly competitive cost levels. Acura does not have the kudos of European luxury carmakers but delivers comparable specification and performance with high-quality vehicles representing excellent value-for-money. Acura was first introduced to the US market in 1986 by parent-carmaker, Honda of Japan as it sought to establish a separate luxury car brand. Acura has benefitted immensely from Honda’s reputation for reliability and engineering coupled with low-cost of ownership; this was put to great use in 1991 when the NSX was launched, a sports car constructed from aluminum and which instantly proved to be a rival for big names and models in that sector but undercut them on price.
Acura is restricted to sales in the North American market and has rapidly tuned in to customer demands and trends; the company is now a leading competitor in the US SUV market with the debut of the MDX in 2001 (an early SUV was launched in the 90’s but this was simply a rebadged Isuzu and failed to live up to customer and market expectations). Acura has also developed a range of sporty sedans and offers the TL (mid-size) and what has now become a flagship model, the luxury RL sedan – there is of course, still a sports coupe, the RSX.
