Acura RLX demos due this month
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Acura will try to build early demand for its new flagship sedan by sending demonstration cars to its dealerships prior to the launch.
The 2014 Acura RLX is expected to go on sale in March, but every dealership should get a couple of the cars in February, said Mac Churchill, chairman of the Acura Dealer Advisory Board and an Acura dealer in Fort Worth, Texas.
"We're going to try to build an order bank, before the car even gets here, of sold orders," Churchill said. "That is not typical."
Customers will be able to test drive the cars and place orders with dealers. Churchill says he is getting questions about the RLX from Acura customers who know it's coming.
If the early demonstrations prove successful, Acura is likely to repeat the tactic when its redesigned MDX goes on sale in the middle of the year, Churchill said.
Successful launches of the RLX and MDX are top priorities for Acura this year, Churchill said. In addition to the early demo cars, Acura also is tailoring its leasing program to emphasize the new vehicles as they hit the market.
Said Churchill: "We're going to make sure we think out our strategy on the launches so they correspond to the cars and come in in the best manner possible.''
You can reach Amy Wilson at awilson@crain.com.
