USA - Acura celebrates 2,000,000 US produced cars in 20 years with a refreshed ILX Sedan

• Acura marks major milestone with U.S. sales of two-million North American-made Acura vehicles
• ILX production begins today at Marysville, Ohio Auto Plant

The Acura brand today celebrated sales in the U.S. of the 2 millionth North American-made Acura vehicle, 20 years after Acura production began in the U.S., as the first new 2016 Acura ILX sports sedan rolled off the assembly line at the Marysville Auto Plant in Ohio. The redesigned and reengineered 2016 ILX delivers more performance, more advanced technology and more luxury refinement than ever before.

"This year marks the 20th anniversary of the start of Acura production in Ohio, so the introduction of the ILX is another exciting stage in our history with the Acura brand," said plant manager Rob May. "Our associates are applying our tremendous experience in producing high quality Acura products and will leverage the production of TLX and ILX in one plant to meet the high expectations of our Acura customers."

Production of the Acura ILX, the gateway to the Acura sedan lineup, began in 2012 at the company's Greensburg, Indiana plant. It now will be produced alongside Acura's highest volume luxury sedan, the Acura TLX, which launched in August of last year. The Marysville Auto Plant has made major investments to further advance Acura quality with the launch of the TLX sedan and will continue to advance the world-class levels of quality for Acura customers with the launch of the new ILX.

"Reaching two million in sales of North American-made Acura vehicles as we begin production of the 2016 ILX at the Marysville Auto Plant portends great things for the Acura brand," said Michael Accavitti, senior vice president and general manager of the Acura Division. "We deeply appreciate the loyalty of our customers which fuels our desire to build Acura products of the highest quality in America."

The 2016 ILX gets a major injection of Acura performance DNA with the application of an all-new 2.4-liter DOHC direct-injected i-VTEC engine and 8-speed dual clutch transmission, the same powertrain that drives one version of the popular new Acura TLX sedan. The 2.4-liter engine that powers both the TLX and new ILX is produced at the nearby Anna, Ohio engine plant. The Marysville plant introduced new equipment and processes to support production of the 2016 Acura ILX, including new glass installation and rear suspension equipment.

Acura now has sold 2 million North American-made Acura vehicles to its customers in America, since U.S. production of the first Acura model began in 1995, with the Acura CL produced at the East Liberty Auto Plant. In 2014, 94 percent of Acura vehicles sold in America were made at the company's plants in Indiana, Ohio and Alabama, using domestic and globally sourced parts. Total U.S. sales of North American-made Acura models reached an all-time high of 158,043 vehicles in 2014, on total sales of 167,483 Acura performance-luxury cars and SUVs for the year.

Starting this fall, Acura will begin production of the next-generation Acura NSX supercar at the new Performance Manufacturing Center (PMC), located adjacent to the Marysville Auto Plant and the nearby development center of Honda R&D Americas, Inc., which led the development of the NSX.

Honda to have a mass launch of new or refreshed models at Geneva, including the new F1 car.

• Honda to unveil flagship performance models with world premiere of production Civic Type R and European premiere of NSX
• Production models of all-new Jazz and HR-V to be unveiled, as well as first showing in Europe of FCV Concept fuel cell vehicle
• 2015 McLaren-Honda F1 racer showcased ahead of season opener

The Geneva Motor Show is expected to signal a turning point in the recent history for the Honda brand in Europe.  With every model in the range set to be replaced or refreshed in 2015, the Geneva Motor Show will see performance cars for road and track, family cars and a fuel cell concept all unveiled in production guise for the first time on the Honda stand in March.

Philip Crossman, managing director of Honda UK, commented: “There’s no denying the past six or seven years have been tough for the Honda brand but with the fruits of a massive R&D investment now coming to the fore, 2015 is our year and the sleeping giant is awakening.  

Geneva is our spring board to explode the Honda brand back to where we belong, with these outstanding new products, along with our F1 partnership, making us a desirable proposition once more.”

The return of two performance legends

Geneva will see the global premiere of the British-built Honda Civic Type R production car. The ‘race car for the road‘ will be the most extreme Type R ever built, with blistering performance and thrilling dynamics that set new standards in the segment. A world-first application of Honda’s new 2.0 litre VTEC Turbo engine, aggressive function-led styling and pioneering new chassis technologies combine to deliver one of the most immersive and rewarding driving experiences available in any sector.

For fans keenly anticipating the launch of Honda’s latest hot hatch icon, a dedicated Type R micro-site goes live today on 28 January. Here fans can explore and share Type R content, in order to gain access to exclusive snapshots of the performance hatchback ahead of its debut in Geneva: www.redline.global. 

Hot from its global debut in Detroit, the much-anticipated production Honda NSX will make its European debut in Switzerland, twenty-five years after the original was first premiered. The hybrid supercar has been specifically created to deliver a ‘new sports experience’, challenging conventional beliefs about the supercar segment.

New HR-V and Jazz

Production models of Honda’s all-new HR-V and Jazz will make their debut ahead of their market launches later in 2015.

The all-new HR-V blends the styling of a coupe with the toughness, space and utility of a SUV in a sporty, characterful and versatile B-segment crossover. Re-entering the segment that Honda pioneered with the original HR-V in 1998, the new 2015 model features eye-catching exterior styling, fun-to-drive performance, class-leading fuel economy and unmatched interior spaciousness.

With a sophisticated new look and an upgraded interior, the third-generation Jazz also makes its debut in Geneva. This car has been redesigned from the ground up, building on the strong reputation of its predecessors and featuring a brand new 1.3 litre petrol engine. 

Looking to the future

The Honda FCV Concept demonstrates the exterior and interior styling evolution of the next-generation zero emissions Honda fuel-cell vehicle.

The FCV Concept is intended to provide significant gains in packaging, interior space, cost reduction and real-world performance, including an anticipated driving range in excess of 300 miles and a refuelling time of just three to five minutes.

Iconic McLaren-Honda partnership returns

The 2015 McLaren-Honda Formula 1 race car will also be on show at Geneva ahead of its competitive debut at the season opener in Melbourne, Australia on 15 March. The new partnership aims to create a legacy to surpass that of the original, when four Constructors’ World Championships were won in four years between 1988 and 1991.

Honda can be found at stand 4250 in Hall 4 at the 85^th Geneva Motor Show (3 - 15 March).