Honda is one of the most popular automakers in the world and has a long list of vehicles that customers love and trust. However, Honda makes cars for everyone. Most Hondas are relatively inexpensive, like the Civic or CR-V. The good news is that Honda has a luxury brand that sells cars for those looking for something a little more luxury: Acura.
Acura was the first Japanese luxury car brand ever
According to Consumer Reports, Acura is owned by Honda, and the two brands have a long history with each other. Honda created Acura in 1986, and Acura was the first Japanese luxury car brand. Lexus and Infiniti followed Acura not long after.
There were many reasons Honda made the Acura. The big reason was because of the taxes imposed by the US on imports. Because of these taxes, it was more profitable for Japanese companies like Honda to sell higher priced cars in the US.
That said, Honda sought to manufacture the Acura in the US, allowing Acura to avoid those import taxes. By doing this Honda could compete with American and German luxury brands, which were popular at the time. With cars like the Legend, Acura successfully did this, and Americans have been buying Acuras ever since.
A brief history of the company Acura is owned by: Honda Motor Company
Like Acura’s history, Honda’s history is closely tied to the American car market. Honda was founded in 1946, just a year after World War II ended. In those early years, Honda didn’t make cars, and the Japanese company focused on motorcycles instead. Honda’s bikes became the company’s bread and butter, and in the 60s Honda began developing and manufacturing cars.
The first Honda car to hit the US market was the N600, and it was a small car inspired by the popularity of the Volkswagen Beetle in America. Honda’s popularity only grew when it introduced the Civic in 1972. Since then, Honda has sold tens of millions of Civics, making it a popular choice for American car buyers.
The Civic was originally an import, but like the Acura, Honda eventually realized it would make more money by setting up factories in the US; this allowed Honda to better cater to the US market. For example, the Ridgeline is currently Honda’s only production truck and is sold in the US and Canada.
Honda and Acura have many awaited cars coming soon
Acura and Honda have a few cars in their upcoming slates, but fans of the vehicles are generally excited about high-performance vehicles. For example, the Acura NSX is a high-performance sports car that will soon be out of production. However, many fans are speculating and cautiously getting excited about the next generation NSX, should it ever arrive.
However, a more solid upcoming car EVS Honda and Acura are planned to be launched soon. As its name might imply, the Honda Prologue will help lead Honda and Acura towards the EV future. The Prelude is an electric SUV, so many American Honda fans are excited about it. The preamble is expected in 2024.
Acura has made a similar move. Like the Prelude, Acura will debut an electric SUV in 2024, though currently, it doesn’t have a name. This will be Acura’s first EV, so Acura and EV fans look forward to more news about this car.
related: A Little Birdie Said There Will Be Another Acura NSX “At Some Point”