Speaking to Automotive News [sub] at the North American International Auto Show, Honda CEO Takeo Fukui revealed that the company's Acura brand will receive the automaker's first California-compliant diesel engines sometime next year. It's a bit of an odd choice, given Acura's lackluster sales, lackluster brand image and lackluster luxury flagship (which TTAC and others have slated for lacking a lustrous V8). And if that isn't enough of a marketing conundrum, Fukui also said Acura's first oil burners will only sport four cylinders. Honda's V6 clean diesel– which also "generates and stores ammonia within a two-layer catalytic converter to turn nitrogen oxide into harmless nitrogen"– won't appear until 2010. Meanwhile and in any case, Fukui is keeping his eye on the bottom line. "Our diesel cars are going to have an appropriate level of profit from the start," he said, intimating that all that high tech hybrid stuff takes ages to pay off. Which it does. Of course, it helps if you get the branding right…
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WHAT! I was looking forward to this coming out in a Civic or Accord I could buy used a few years down the road. I have no interest in dumping money in an overpriced Acura. What is with these bone headed car execs, Honda is now infected. Now I’ll have to wait ages until I can get my hands on one of these, which means it will be an awesome powerplant the way my luck goes.
Sounds like I’ll be buying a Jetta Sportwagen TDI, then, dealership experience and quality pitfalls be damned…
Wow ! Had me fooled , I was sure it was going to be the TSX. Seemed to make so much sense and right price range. Now a 4 Cylinder in a RL ? Poor RL , always 2 cylinders short for its class.
Dorian666 : Wow ! Had me fooled , I was sure it was going to be the TSX. Seemed to make so much sense and right price range. Now a 4 Cylinder in a RL ? Poor RL , always 2 cylinders short for its class. You just joshing? There's been no decision on which Acura model gets the oil burner. We's jest playin' witch all!
Takeo Fukui has bigger tempura to fry. Consider that the RL, TL, and TSX have been rotting on the vine for far too long. Over half of Acura’s product line needs at least a mild refresh.
Takeo Fukui has bigger tempura to fry. Consider that the RL, TL, and TSX have been rotting on the vine for far too long. Over half of Acura’s product line needs at least a mild refresh.
Well it’s a good thing then that they’re all being redesigned or significantly refreshed for 2009. I do have to disagree that the TSX has been rotting on the vine (it was just a TBAG last year, for cripe’s sake), but the new model will be out in April. The RL will be significantly freshened at the same time, though the lack of V8 power will once again earn it a demerit from the press. And the TL will be totally redesigned for 2009, with V6 and SH-AWD.
A turbodiesel 4-cylinder is the perfect match for the TSX. I hope Honda has been working on its transmissions. A DSG-style transmission would work well in this application. The more ratios, the more chance there is to keep the engine in its peak torque range, which will be crucial to giving the kind of sporty feel that an Acura application needs.
A turbodiesel 4-cylinder is the perfect match for the TSX.
Better still for the TSX Estate. Acura could dominate the wagon business since none of the other players (except maybe Subaru) is known for rock solid Toyonda reliability.
Better still for the TSX Estate.
Wish we could get such a thing, mate. Alas, Acura’s idea of a TSX wagon is the RDX cute-ute, which will probably also get this engine.
After visiting Europe, I hoped for the day of a diesel TSX wagon. The new concept gave me even greater hope; but I think we will only get the sedan still.
I want to put my money where my mouth is, but the selections just don’t fit me. VW’s closest right now, but I like driving my car. A 335d wagon would be simply ravishing, but I’m not dropping that kind of cash on a daily driver.
I would like a TSX with RWD. And a little less mass. That would tempt me. Why do these things keep having to put on weight???! A wagon would be nice, too, but lower priority for me than the RWD and the weight.
David Holzman:
Acura just isn’t an RWD brand. Honda’s cars are not RWD in general (all I can think of are S2K and NSX), they’re very well handling FWDs with high-revving low-displacement engines. If you want RWD, any BMW dealership can help you out. There isn’t much practical difference between a well-balanced FWD and RWD for most drivers anyway, and 200hp isn’t enough to cause torque-steer issues. Acura should make TL into an RWD sedan – it would be far better in my opinion.
TSX isn’t heavy either – it’s about 3200lbs. This is for a 4-door sedan with leather, electric everything, sunroof/moonroof, lots of airbags, and large wheels. Civic Si sedan is 2900lbs, a 300-pound increase for all the extra stuff isn’t surprising.
If the TSX gets the 4cyl. diesel, I am a buyer.
I’d take a look at a TSX wagon with a diesel option. Of course, since Honda abandoned wagons in the 90s, I don’t one coming back to North America any time soon. Which is really too bad. I guess I’d have to either wait for the new Jetta wagon, or find an older one.
I suspect that the clean diesel costs essentially price the technology out of the honda range of cars, where value is a key component. Regarding updates, I agree that the TSX has been languishing, although I see lots on the road, and the RSX really needs to come back as a mini-lux Civic SI. The TL for 2008 gets active noise cancellation in the cabin – that will make it really lux – and I believe in 2009 they’re bringing the SH-AWD to the TL. That should fix the current problems with FWD torque steer and really give it the luxury feel that it usually carries most of the time anyway.
The only Honda diesel I care about is the forthcoming V6 diesel powered Odyssey. That would be a car I’d buy new.
Well, this is quite interesting in terms of marketing.
Honda is using diesel engines as a premium feature. I say this because Toyota is putting diesel’s in the FJ and Tundra which are not premium vehicles but makes sense in overall big picture.
4 cylinder diesel screams frugalness and should be in the CRV or Civic. Honda should put the V6 diesel in their Acura CUV.