2013 Acura ILX Sedan and RDX Crossover With official photos

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.

2013 ACURA ILX SEDAN

2013 ACURA RDX CROSSOVER

Read More

Mercedes-Benz B-Class gets New design By Brabus

Coinciding with the European market launch of the 2012 Mercedes-Benz B-Class, Brabus has released its first tuning take on the small MPV. For the time being, the German tuner's offerings include upgrades for the exterior, interior and the chassis with the engine kits to become available later in the year. On the outside, Brabus has prepared an aero kit that comprises a front spoiler that attaches directly to the front bumper and a rear apron housing a diffuser and the new quad tail pipes.
To complement the look, buyers can choose from five different alloy wheel designs in 19-inch diameter shod in tires size 225/35 R 19 in front and 255/30 R 19 on the rear axle. A 30mm lowering kit with sport springs gives the B-Class a more aggressive stance while also promising to improve handling.
For the interior of the new B-Class, Brabus offers several options including by bi-color stainless-steel scuff plates, aluminum door lock pins, custom leather upholstery and a choice of multimedia systems.

PHOTO GALLERY

Read More

Hyundai is Thinking About Making Genesis a Separate Luxury Brand

Korean carmakers have made impressive progress in the last decade. From below-par products that were chosen by people who wanted a new car and couldn’t afford anything pricier, Hyundai and Kia models quickly become competitive in most segments. And we're not the only ones who say this; even VW's boss is wondering why his company's products can't match Hyundai’s quality in certain areas.
No matter how good a car is, though, preconceptions die hard. For certain people, the badge on the hood says a lot about not only the car, but themselves as well; no quality survey, iPad manual, road-test review or 10-speed auto transmission is not going to change that in the foreseeable future
If you can’t change the people, you can surely change the badge, though. Toyota, Nissan and Honda have gone down that road by launching premium divisions like Lexus, Infiniti and Acura. This has worked more than well, at least in the U.S.
And this is the dilemma Hyundai is facing right now, according to a report from Autonews. If some buyers choose to ignore its upmarket offerings like the Genesis or the Equus because they sport a round “H” badge instead of an “L”, a three-pointed star or a white and blue roundel, why not launch a new brand?
Dave Zuchowski, executive vice president of sales for Hyundai Motor America, acknowledges the issue: “There’s a conversation going on within the company that says, ‘Does having the Hyundai badge on the premium vehicles sell more units, or does it restrict us from selling more?’.”
The question becomes difficult to answer because Hyundai sales are on the rise anyway: in the first year of production, Hyundai sold 3,193 units of its US$60,000 Equus sedan. That’s 893 more than the company expected.
On the other hand, Zuckowski admits that even though Genesis sedan and Coupe sales have increased by 13 percent in 2011, many buyers have chosen to replace the Hyundai logo with the optional Genesis winged badge.
If it gets the green light, the new division will include rear-wheel drive saloons and coupes and adopt the Genesis brand name and an alphanumeric naming system for its models.
Contrary to Lexus and Infiniti, there would be no different dealership network and the new sub-brand would be sold through Hyundai’s existing network.
While Zuchowski noted that the company hasn’t made a final decision yet, if it gets the go ahead, the launch could coincide with the new Genesis and Equus sedans, which are expected next year as 2014 models.
Mind you, creating a luxury sub-brand is not necessarily a recipe for success. In 1992, Mazda planned to launch the Amati luxury division in response to Acura, Lexus and Infiniti. The plan never took off, and the Xedos name that was applied to the European Mazda 6 in 1992 didn’t make any difference, so it was ditched five years later.
And, of course, we all know what happened, at a more upscale level, to a certain German premium manufacturer when it decided to challenge Bentley and Rolls-Royce…

PHOTO GALLERY

 

Read More