New Acura ILX compact luxury sedan to debut in Detroit

Acura will likely be on every gearhead’s list of displays to visit at the 2012 North American International Auto Show in Detroit thanks to the debut of the new NSX Concept but joining the new supercar will be the Acura ILX Concept – a new compact luxury sedan based on the popular Honda Civic.

(TorqueNews) - The Acura ILX Concept is intended to help the Japanese automaker compete in the budding compact luxury sedan segment and while details are short right now, we know that the ILX Concept will offer a look at the new model set for launch in the spring of 2012. This new entry level model is expected to entice new buyers to the Japanese luxury brand with a price tag starting below $30,000 – making it the least expensive model in the Acura lineup.

"Acura has a steady cadence of exciting new models coming to market and it will all begin in Detroit," said Jeff Conrad, vice president and general manager of Acura sales and service. "From the all-new Acura ILX at the gateway of the lineup to the pinnacle of performance with the Acura NSX Concept, Acura vehicles are being created for luxury customers who aspire to the highest levels of quality and value, with beautiful styling and the right balance of technology, performance and environmental responsibility."

The one bit of information offered by Honda is that the new Acura ILX Concept will include three drivetrains at launch, including Acura’s gas-electric hybrid that will likely be closely based on the Honda Civic Hybrid which features a 1.5L 4-cylinder packing 110hp and 127lb-ft of torque. More importantly, the hybrid drivetrain in the Civic Hybrid offers 44mpg around town and on the open road and if the Acura ILX offers those kinds of numbers, it will be the most fuel efficient Acura ever offered in the US.

There is no indication from Honda as to what the other two engine options will be for the 2012 Acura ILX Concept but depending on how closely the ILX is based on the Civic, we can take a guess that the Acura will share the 1.8L and 2.4L engines offered in the current Civic lineup. The 1.8L engine offered in a variety of current Civic models provides 140 horsepower and 128lb-ft of torque while achieving up to 41 miles per gallon in the Civic HF. The 2.4L engine is currently available in the Civic Si Coupe and Sedan, packing 201 horsepower and 170lb-ft of torque while still offering 31mpg. However, rumors indicate that the Acura ILX could come with a standard 2.0L 4-cylinder engine that would offer more power than the 1.8L engine from the 2012Civic while still leaving room for the range topping 2.4L engine borrowed from the Civic Si.

The Acura ILX Concept will make its grand debut on January 9th at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show and TorqueNews will be there, bringing you the Acura debuts and the rest of the major news from the North American International Auto Show.

Other Acura News:
The new Acura NSX Concept to debut at 2012 NAIAS