Acura ILX bombs with consumers, exec promises quick changes

The Acura ILX has only been on the market for a few months, but slow sales have pushed the company to announce changes are on the way.

Speaking with Automotive News, American Honda executive vice president John Mendel confirmed the model has not been meeting expectations as it rarely manages to outsell the car it was designed to replace - the TSX. While the ILX certainly has a price advantage over the TSX, Mendel said the main problem is the ILX's 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that only develops 150 bhp (112 kW) and 190 Nm (140 lb-ft) of torque. As he explained, the engine is "underpowered and consumers don't see the value."

To fix the problem, Acura will reportedly drop the entry-level engine and replace it with a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine that develops 201 bhp (150 kW) and 230 Nm (170 lb-ft) of torque. The engine is currently available in the ILX, but only with a manual transmission. This will soon change as an automatic option is now deemed critical.