Luxury SUVs as a growing trend
Acura is right on top of the SUV-inspired bandwagon with its release of the RDX model this 2007. As it is, manufacturers of luxury cars seem to be united in engineering the ideal high-end sports utility vehicle. Pioneering this trend was BMW X3 and Land Rover’s Freelander last 2004, then followed by the Acura this year. Sources say that the Audi Q5 and Land Rover LR2 are also trying to beat their respective deadlines sometime this year.
When asked on the growing automaker interest and market popularity for luxury car brands to design their own Sports-utility model, Lonnie Miller, Senior Analyst at R.L. Polk & Co., has this to say: “Automakers pursue customers for this type of body style because it offers what is fundamentally sought from an SUV.”
“They certainly provide a nice touch with their design cues, interior styling and, more importantly, the reputation of the core brand,” Miller continued.
Further reiterating the advantage is Ryan Robinson, an automotive analyst at PricewaterhouseCoopers: “It offers you an opportunity to get into an Acura or a Lexus without having to go full bore into their core luxury products.”