Honda Motor Co., seeking to revive its Acura luxury brand, is introducing a sedan intended for younger buyers unable to afford higher-end marques. It's part of an effort to improve Acura's image with new models.
The compact ILX is aimed at "Generation Y" drivers who are turning 30, Honda said at a briefing in Las Vegas this month. The sedan will start "well under $30,000" when it goes on sale in early 2012, and will be shown next month at the Detroit auto show, said Vicki Poponi, assistant vice president for product planning at Honda's U.S. unit.
"The brand is in trouble," said Jessica Caldwell, an analyst for researcher Edmunds.com. "The consensus for many of the current models is the vehicles just look bland. They have to do something to capture peoples' emotions with styling."