Acura Won’t Launch New Crossovers, Will Focus On Fixing Its Sedans

The all-new 2019 Acura RDX crossover has seen an enthusiastic market reception in the United States.

Following its June launch, the RDX posted the sixth straight monthly sales record in November, with 2018 deliveries so far exceeding 2017 by 22 percent. The sales success is a sign Acura has got the redesign of its premium compact crossover right. The Honda-owned brand says the 2019 RDX is attracting younger buyers with its A-Spec trim as well as stealing sales from European luxury brands.

Acura wants to emulate the success of the RDX across the lineup, and that means all of its models will get fully redesigned according to similar principles — including the brand’s three sedans. Acura General Manager Jon Ikeda says customers can expect the brand’s passenger car lineup to get the same treatment as the RDX in the future.

Despite the fact that sedan sales are on the downward slope, the executive says Acura won’t give up on the ILX, TLX, and RLX — quite the contrary. While parent company Honda unveiled a new midsize SUV at the LA Auto Show (the Passport), Acura isn’t looking to add more crossovers to its lineup.

Once again, Acura denies plans to bring the CDX subcompact crossover to the U.S.

Not even the CDX subcompact crossover, which launched in China two years ago, won’t make it Stateside. A company spokesman said the RDX’s pricing (from $38,295) allows it to reach down into that smaller segment. Instead, the premium brand wants to get its core models right.

“We don’t know what’s going to happen in the future. What’s critical is that we stay disciplined and balanced. We’ll do our best to hit home runs with our sedans also,” Ikeda was quoted as saying by Automotive News.

This seems to be a healthy approach considering the fact that U.S. automakers are giving up on their sedans altogether. Acura is aware that there are things to improve on its passenger car lineup and wants to fix them before making any decisions on their future.

That’s all the more remarkable given the fact that crossovers and SUVs currently make up 70 percent of Acura’s sales. Not that long ago, sedans accounted for a similar share of the brand’s overall sales.