Who Makes Acura Cars? Everything You Need To Know
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Acura is one of the most well-known upmarket luxury brands that gave us the street-legal supercar Acura NSX and other high-performance vehicles. However, you’ll be surprised at how many people are unaware of the manufacturer’s origins or who makes Acura cars.
If you’re looking for a quick answer, Acura is the luxury segment of the top Japanese car maker, Honda Motor Company. Having a separate luxury segment was a successful tactic that other Japanese car manufacturers followed suit, like Nissan with Infiniti and Toyota with Lexus.
Today, we’re going to highlight the Acura brand along with its history, where Acura cars are made, and some of its most notable models over the years.
History of Acura: The Timeline
If you want to know more about who makes Acura cars, you’ll have to understand the history that started it all.
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The 1980s: Introduction of Acura
After ten years of research, Honda opened 60 new dealerships in North America to support its new luxury and performance division, Acura – the first Japanese luxury brand ever. The Acura was marketed under the slogan “Acura. Precision Crafted Automobiles” and offered two introductory models: the Acura Legend and Integra.
The success of these Acura models prompted competing manufacturers Toyota and Nissan to launch their own luxury divisions, the Lexus and Infiniti, respectively.
During its entire first year of sales, Acura sold 109,000 cars, with the Legend sedan accounting for 55,000 of the overall sales.
The 1990s: Here Comes a New Challenger
Five years after the debut of Acura and the success of the Legend and Integra, the company launched the Acura NSX – stands for “New Sports eXperimental.” The original NSX featured a 3.0-liter, 24-valve V6 engine.
The 1991 Acura NSX had a power output of 270 hp and sported a 5-speed manual transmission. Furthermore, it also comes with programmed fuel injection and a variable volume induction system. It also earned the distinction of the world’s first all-aluminum sports car and was dubbed by people as the “Everyday Supercar” – thanks to its ease of use, reliability, and quality.
While it looked like Acura was poised to take over the automobile industry, the company’s sales numbers slumped during the mid-to-late 1990s. According to the critics, many of Acura’s designs were uninspired and even accused the company of rebranding Hondas like the Acura Vigor in 1992.
Furthermore, Acura changed its naming scheme to an alphanumeric nomenclature formula, ditching the Legend, Integra, and Vigor designations. As a result, the uber popular Legend was replaced by 1996 3.5 RL, and the Vigor became 2.5 TL and 3.2 TL. The new naming conventions failed to resonate with consumers, especially when the old titles had cult followings.
Acura gained popularity with a specific niche of customers: the “tuner” enthusiasts despite its underperformance. Acura cars were branded as “tuner friendly,” and the Integra turned into a well-sought tuner car.
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2000-2006: The Rebirth
In the year 2000, Acura had a market resurgence by introducing a few redesigned models. One of such models is the 1999 Acura 3.2 TL, which proved popular among consumers. Critics said that even though the 3.2 TL didn’t outperform other luxury cars, it offered both luxury and sportiness.
In fact, Acura adopted this new philosophy of designing only a few well-rounded sports vehicles with competitive pricing.
Around the early 2000s, Acura first introduced its iconic three-row SUV based on the Honda Odyssey, the MDX. The MDX replaced the SLX, which was essentially a rebadged Isuzu Trooper. The MDX was well-received by both critics and consumers, praising its car-like road manners and limited off-road capabilities.
By the late 2000s, Acura abandoned the engine displacement numbers when naming their vehicles. Now, we know Acura models by their two or three-letter designations.
By 2004, Acura introduced a new TL model with 270 HP and a V6 engine. It sold 70,943 units in North America in 2005. Around the same time, the Acura TSX was launched, which is basically a rebadged Honda Accord with more features. The TL and TSX became two of the best-selling Acura models and received top ratings from critics.
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The Present and Beyond
Since then, Acura has introduced more models into the market, including:
- ILX
- TLX
- RDX
- RLX
- MDX
- ZDX
- And the second-gen NSX
In 2013, the company created the Performance Manufacturing Company (PMC) in Marysville, Ohio. It’s one of the largest production plants by the company, responsible for making the Honda Accord sedan and coupe and the Acura TLX and ILX.
Acura remains competitive and relevant, especially with its RDX and MDX SUVs which were regarded as some of the best family luxury vehicles.
Where are Acura Vehicles Made?
Now that you know who makes Acura cars, you’re probably wondering where they are manufactured. These days, most of Acura’s famous models, such as the ILX, TLX, RDX, and MDX, are made in North America. And no, they’re not being made and assembled in Japan anymore. Only the flagship model RLX is being manufactured and made in Japan.
Acura has four production plants, all located in the state of Ohio:
- Anna, OH - Responsible for manufacturing engines and drivetrain components for Acura vehicles.
- East Liberty, OH - Makes the RDX and MDX SUVs.
- Russell Point, OH - Makes drivetrain and transmission parts, including four-wheel drive systems.
- Marysville, OH - The PMC plant, as mentioned earlier, makes the ILX and TLX sedans. It’s also the base for making the NSX supercar. This includes the Limited-Edition Acura NSX Type S.
What’s In Store for Acura?
Hopefully, you’re now informed on who makes Acura cars and the brand’s history.
What’s coming for Acura? The MDX and RDX continue to be top-selling units for Acura. The company just recently announced that the turbocharged Acura MDX Type S is on the horizon. Plus, it’s also preparing for a limited run of the Acura NSX Type S, which should excite supercar fans.
Like all car manufacturers, Acura continues to deal with supply chain issues which resulted in record-low inventories.
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