Day-by-Day Review: 2013 Acura ILX Hybrid; Day 1

And now for something completely new: a new name on a new Acura vehicle for 2013. The 2013 Acura ILX is Acura’s entry level luxury vehicle, replacing the CSX and, before it, the EL, both based on the Honda Civic. The ILX is not a Honda Civic with a different badge as the previous CSX was; the ILX has its own sheet metal and interior refinements, and although the chassis is still shared with the Civic, it doesn’t look or feel anyway like one.

And this is a good thing, because Acura is really still trying to find their niche in the market, and they seem to be doing so as an entry level luxury maker at this point. The CSX was only available in Canada while the ILX is now available in the US, and should help Acura boost sales.

y tester is the Hybrid version, a fully-loaded model that is powered by a 1.5-litre gasoline engine with electric assist. Power is output to the pavement through the front wheels using a CVT (Continually Variable Transmission) that offers virtual gearing in sport mode via paddle shifters mounted on the steering column.

Interior features and appointements are very much luxury-focused with a full leather interior, navigation system, heated and power-adjustable seating, dual-zone automatic climate control, reverse camera system, moonroof, rear trunk spoiler and more.

Will the market embrace this car, or has Acura found a small niche with an entry-level luxury vehicle? Acura is trying to attract younger buyers with this ILX, and although I do have some doubts, I’ll put it through its paces this week and see if I would be interested in having one in my driveway.

MSRP as tested (including destination): $34,990

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