New 2016 Acura ILX Begins Production as Brand Marks 20th Anniversary of Manufacturing in America
– 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
MARYSVILLE, Ohio, Jan. 27, 2015 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — 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.
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“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.
About Acura
Acura offers a full line of precision crafted performance-luxury vehicles through a network of approximately 270 U.S. Acura dealers. The Acura lineup features five distinctive models – the RLX luxury flagship sedan, the TLX performance luxury sedan, the ILX sport sedan, the 5-passenger RDX luxury crossover SUV, and the seven-passenger Acura MDX, America’s all-time best-selling three-row luxury SUV. The next-generation Acura NSX mid-engine supercar will join the Acura lineup later this year. Acura was recently recognized by Edmunds.com for the third consecutive year as leading all luxury brands in retained value after five years of ownership.
For More Information
Consumer information about Acura is available at acura.com. To join the Acura community on Facebook, visit facebook.com/acura. Additional media information including detailed features, pricing and high-resolution photography of the Acura model line is available at acuranews.com.
