CARBARN | Acura ILX (2013) | Acura is still readying the ILX, the which will fill the entry-level slot in the luxury brand's lineup. A 2.4-liter inline-four-and six-speed manual combo is slated for duty in the "high-performance ILX," That sounds suspiciously a powertrain like that found in the current Civic Si. If you're wondering why this Acura borrows so much of its tech underhood from the Honda Civic, it's Because It shares basic underpinnings with That bestselling compact. But Acura is quick to point out That the two cars share few hard points, and a walk-around of the ILX concept shows the subtle Efforts its designers made to hide its humble econo-car roots.
The door handles on the ILX concept have been creased and shaped into a form That looks vaguely inspired by medieval weaponry, and the character That line intersects the front and rear door-handle depressions on the Honda kicks up above the rear door handle on the Acura . The lower crease That runs Between the wheel wells is more pronounced, and the lower sills are more aggressive. The concept rides on 19-inch wheels.
When production for the actual Acura ILX spools up in Earnest, each and every one will be manufactured at Honda's Greensburg, Indiana, plant. This latest round of entry-level luxury models has us wondering how much of a premium people are willing to pay for what are essentially gussied-up versions of lesser models; a sticker of "well below $ 30,000" has been promised. Acura has not released any details on what if any of the car's dirty bits have been upgraded from Civic duty, the which may be an Important part of the value puzzle here.
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