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Acura continues to push for Tier-1 status, NSX could be revived

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Acura wants to assure dealers that its plan to become a Tier 1 luxury brand - able to hang with Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Lexus - is still underway. But according to Dick Colliver, executive vice president of American Honda Motor Co., the key to playing with the big boys isn’t limited to what’s on showroom floors. Colliver told Automotive News, “Being a premium luxury brand is not just about product. It’s the way dealers handle customers. You’ve got to earn your way into the segment. You don’t necessarily have to have a $90,000 sedan to get there.”

Even though that formula seems to have worked for Lexus, Acura has different plans. The recently released TSX, RL and TL have set the tone for the next few years, and another crossover, designed to slot in between the RDX and MDX, is currently under development.

Colliver also mentioned that work on the NSX replacement is “mostly done,” so even though Honda shelved the V10 supercar to cut costs and keep an even keel during the economic downturn, the NSX could be pulled out of the corporate garage, dusted off and brought to market once conditions improve.

Acura’s entry-level image could help the automaker weather the economic downturn better than its rivals from Germany and Japan, but when the market firms up, Acura will need products (with high-output engines and RWD) at the ready to compete with the stalwarts of the luxury set.

See more detail photos: Acura NSX

See more detail photos: 2009 Acura RL

See more detail photos: 2009 Acura TL

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]

This entry was posted on Friday, February 20th, 2009 at 12:58 am and is filed under Acura. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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