Entering the US market then dominated by the biggest domestic and
European car manufacturers was a tough goal but Honda succeeded in
doing so with Acura. It is the name Honda used since 1986 to market
their luxury cars in the United States and other places like Canada and
Hong Kong. It is the first Japanese luxury car that entered the US
market and its first few years were good enough. Acura has consistently
received first-place ranking on customer satisfaction and many of its
autos won prestigious awards such as the Import Car of the Year (1991
Acura Legend coupe).
Vehicles from Acura include high class family cars, sport cars and
SUVs. In order to make its vehicles familiar to auto users, more than
the Acura name itself, the company used alphanumeric names for its
models such as the Acura RL, TL, TSX, RSX, NSX and MDX. As luxury
autos, Acura cars offer their users great comfort and excellent
styling that depict Honda’s tradition of excellence. They take pride in the
alluring body, exquisite exterior parts, precision and high level of
performance. They are products of Acura’s technical expertise and
commitment to your ultimate driving satisfaction.
Aside from being the first Japanese luxury car to be designed and
assembled in the US, Acura also takes pride of many “firsts” in the
auto industry. It was the first to manufacture an all-aluminum car, the
first to use in-dash satellite-linked navigation system in their
vehicles and the first to develop the VTEC (Variable Valve Timing and
Lift Electronic Control) system. These breakthroughs were then adopted
by other car manufacturers in their own models.
The first two models of Acura are the Integra and the Legend, which
were a luxury sedan and luxury sports sedan respectively. There are
five generations of the Integra and third was the most popular among
the Acura Integras. They were the only ones that had double wishbone
suspension at the four corners of the car. On the other hand, the Acura
Legend bested other European brands, proving that it doesn’t only take
prestige and long heritage to get into the list of the best and the
finest. The Legends take pride in having thick body panels, excellent
performance parts and luxurious interior features.
