Acura: Making a Name in Luxury Car Industry
Last year, Acura marked its 20th year of being at the “forefront of innovation.” Now, it is worth taking a sneak peek of the past 20 years of the well-loved Japanese car brand.
Ten years of research and development had led to the founding of Acura, which would soon be known for carving the niche for luxury cars.
Since its inception in 1986, Acura has prided itself of creating a range of luxury vehicles—from performance coupes and sedans, to the MDX sports utility vehicle (SUV) and NSX sports car. Acura also holds the credit for building a new and groundbreaking automobile division, as well as being the first luxury vehicle brand from Japan.
For creating innovative and beautifully-crafted vehicles, Acura has been reaping recognitions from the start. Only a year after its founding, Acura earned the esteemed Import Car of the Year (1987) award for the Acura Legend model. That same year, the Acura Integra was among the Ten Best list.
Acura’s innovations are well-reflected by the cars it manufactures. In the late 1990s, Acura came up with the NSX sport coupe—tagged as the “best sports car ever built” by the Motor Trend magazine. This Acura model made breakthroughs by blending passenger comfort and reliability in a sports car.
Moving to the into the SUV arena, Acura unveiled the celebrated MDX—a crossover vehicle integrated with technological features, still with the distinct Acura luxuriousness. In 2001, the Acura MDX won the Sport/Utility of the Year award from Motor Trend.
The redesigned Acura TL, which appeals to technological savvy customers, offered features such as Bluetooth and DVD-Audio in 2003. The following year, the Acura RL (2005 model) carried the features that surpass those of others: the most powerful Acura engine, North America’s first real-time traffic feature, and North America’s most advanced all-wheel drive system (Super Handling All-Wheel Drive or SH-AWD). The SH-AWD system allows for a more stable and precise maneuvering and cornering of the vehicle.
Today, the most prominent among Acura’s lineup is the Acura RDX, a small luxury crossover sedan that incorporates the functionality, performance, and versatility of an SUV.
For such innovations coupled with eye-catching design and awesome engine power, Acura has proved to be the choice of the new generation of car enthusiasts.
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