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We don't have to wait until Wednesday for the 2012 Chicago Auto Show to open its doors to the press to see what the production versions of Acura's 2013 ILX compact sedan and RDX crossover look like as the Japanese carmaker has just released the first official photos.
As we expected, the transition from concept to production didn't bring many changes on either model, just some minor tweaks to the bumper trims and the placing of smaller and less extravagant alloy wheels. Starting with the ILX, while based on the current Civic, Acura has made considerable efforts to differentiate the compact model from its Honda sibling, both inside and out. Acura says that the primary target customers for the ILX are "Generation Y- successful 20 and 30-somethings moving into the luxury car ranks but looking for high-value propositions in their purchases."
Underneath the body, it's all Honda Civic with the ILX being offered with three engine options. These include the base 2.0-liter inline-four producing 150 horsepower at 6,500 rpm and 140 lb-ft of torque at 4,300 rpm, which is linked to a Sequential SportShift 5-speed automatic transmission and returns an EPA estimated 24mpg city and 32 mpg highway.
Next up is a 2.4-liter engine with an output of 201 horsepower at 7,000 rpm and 170 lb-ft torque at 4,300 rpm, paired to a close-ratio, six-speed manual transmission that returns 20mpg city and 29mpg highway.
Finally, there's Acura's first hybrid model which makes use of a 1.5-liter inline engine and Honda's Integrated Motor Assist electric motor with a CVT delivering an EPA estimated 35mpg city and 38mpg highway.
Moving on to the new 2013 RDX, Acura's new crossover replaces the outgoing model's 2.3-liter turbocharged inline-four with a 3.5-liter V-6 engine that produces 273 horsepower (+ 33HP).
The all-new 6-speed automatic transmission with a lock-up torque converter and an available lighter all-wheel-drive system complete the setup. According to Acura, the FWD version of the new RDX delivers a fuel economy of 20mpg city and 28mpg highway, while the respective numbers for the AWD model are 19mpg and 27mpg.
Both the 2013 ILX and the RDX will go on sale in North America this Spring.
