Acura In Trouble Because Infiniti Is Now Selling More Cars

Infiniti wisely expanded and updated its lineup. Acura did not. This is the result.

This isn’t the first time we’ve said Acura is in desperate need of exciting and, for that matter, competitive product. We’re not alone in our thinking and Acura has to realize the NSX alone isn’t good enough. And now it’s learning the hard way. The Truth About Cars did the math and discovered that Infiniti is set to take Acura’s place as America’s second-best-selling Japanese luxury brand this year. Lexus, of course, remains at number one.

Infiniti, to its full credit, achieved record US sales last year and is now experiencing a sales increase faster than any other car brand sold in the US, exception being "niche-market luxury contenders." All told, Infiniti achieved a 22 percent year-over-year sales increase, and new product, specifically the QX30 compact crossover, has played a huge role. Heck, it even outsold its direct Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz competition in February and March. Other key players in the Infiniti lineup, including the Q60 and Q70, have also made their contributions. Acura, however, is down seven percent so far this year in sales, while Infiniti is up by 19 percent.

Only the RDX and MDX crossovers can be credited with keeping Acura afloat. Furthermore, Acura doesn’t even offer competitors to the Infiniti QX30, QX70 and QX80. While Infiniti has consistently been adding new product done right, Acura depends on the aforementioned crossovers, as well as the upcoming facelifted 2018 TLX sedan. The previous generation Honda Civic-based Acura ILX and RLX large sedan are nearly irrelevant in their respective segments. In other words, Acura is being kept afloat with the RDX and MDX while Infiniti has done due diligence and is now beginning to reap the benefits.

View the original article here

Acura Admits Benchmarking Lexus And Infiniti Was A Mistake

Mistake acknowledged. So, what's next?

Acura was launched over three decades ago, becoming the first Japanese luxury brand. Honda has always been more forward-thinking than its domestic rivals. However, competition came fast from Toyota (Lexus) and Nissan (Infiniti) and within just a few years Acura found itself preoccupied by benchmarking those brands, notably the former. Instead of leading the pack, it became a bland follower. According to Acura General Manager Jon Ikeda, via Automotive News, that’s all in the past.

Ikeda admits that Acura strayed down a “wandering road” and lost touch with its roots. Cars like the Legend and Integra were replaced with rather dull successors. We can back this up with our own experience driving the RLX flagship sedan. In more recent years, Acura has come to rely on SUVs like the MDX and RDX, but it wasn’t until 2016 when the second generation NSX arrived that things began to feel exciting again. Thing is, the NSX is a halo supercar out of reach for most consumers. What Acura needs is more affordable models that also fully embody “Precision Crafted Performance,” the brand’s new mantra. Equally important, Ikeda admits Acura’s job is not to “reinvent luxury.”

It’s best to be both luxury and performance-oriented. You know, how Acura originally was. "When you start benchmarking and looking at everything else, instead of looking introspectively, is where you lose your way," Ikeda said during a panel discussion. "We're a lot more truthful (now) to who we are and what we're trying to be. I think it's a growing pain we went through." Agreed, and now it’s time to make up for those growing pain years with something interesting, relatively affordable, and not an SUV. Perhaps a production version of 2016’s Precision Concept?

View the original article here

Acura Admits Benchmarking Lexus And Infiniti Was A Mistake

Mistake acknowledged. So, what's next?

Acura was launched over three decades ago, becoming the first Japanese luxury brand. Honda has always been more forward-thinking than its domestic rivals. However, competition came fast from Toyota (Lexus) and Nissan (Infiniti) and within just a few years Acura found itself preoccupied by benchmarking those brands, notably the former. Instead of leading the pack, it became a bland follower. According to Acura General Manager Jon Ikeda, via Automotive News, that’s all in the past.

Ikeda admits that Acura strayed down a “wandering road” and lost touch with its roots. Cars like the Legend and Integra were replaced with rather dull successors. We can back this up with our own experience driving the RLX flagship sedan. In more recent years, Acura has come to rely on SUVs like the MDX and RDX, but it wasn’t until 2016 when the second generation NSX arrived that things began to feel exciting again. Thing is, the NSX is a halo supercar out of reach for most consumers. What Acura needs is more affordable models that also fully embody “Precision Crafted Performance,” the brand’s new mantra. Equally important, Ikeda admits Acura’s job is not to “reinvent luxury.”

It’s best to be both luxury and performance-oriented. You know, how Acura originally was. "When you start benchmarking and looking at everything else, instead of looking introspectively, is where you lose your way," Ikeda said during a panel discussion. "We're a lot more truthful (now) to who we are and what we're trying to be. I think it's a growing pain we went through." Agreed, and now it’s time to make up for those growing pain years with something interesting, relatively affordable, and not an SUV. Perhaps a production version of 2016’s Precision Concept?

View the original article here

Acura In Trouble Because Infiniti Is Now Selling More Cars

Infiniti wisely expanded and updated its lineup. Acura did not. This is the result.

This isn’t the first time we’ve said Acura is in desperate need of exciting and, for that matter, competitive product. We’re not alone in our thinking and Acura has to realize the NSX alone isn’t good enough. And now it’s learning the hard way. The Truth About Cars did the math and discovered that Infiniti is set to take Acura’s place as America’s second-best-selling Japanese luxury brand this year. Lexus, of course, remains at number one.

Infiniti, to its full credit, achieved record US sales last year and is now experiencing a sales increase faster than any other car brand sold in the US, exception being "niche-market luxury contenders." All told, Infiniti achieved a 22 percent year-over-year sales increase, and new product, specifically the QX30 compact crossover, has played a huge role. Heck, it even outsold its direct Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz competition in February and March. Other key players in the Infiniti lineup, including the Q60 and Q70, have also made their contributions. Acura, however, is down seven percent so far this year in sales, while Infiniti is up by 19 percent.

Only the RDX and MDX crossovers can be credited with keeping Acura afloat. Furthermore, Acura doesn’t even offer competitors to the Infiniti QX30, QX70 and QX80. While Infiniti has consistently been adding new product done right, Acura depends on the aforementioned crossovers, as well as the upcoming facelifted 2018 TLX sedan. The previous generation Honda Civic-based Acura ILX and RLX large sedan are nearly irrelevant in their respective segments. In other words, Acura is being kept afloat with the RDX and MDX while Infiniti has done due diligence and is now beginning to reap the benefits.

View the original article here