TOKYO -- Tetsuo Iwamura, CEO of American Honda Motor Co., says that for him, "The big challenge is Acura."
He said Acura has a "very strong lineup" of SUVs and crossovers. But in reviewing the brand's sedans, he said, "We need to improve a lot."
He said of the Acura ILX, for example, "So far, volume is not meeting our expectations. We could have done better."
And the TLX, he said, "could be a volume model for Acura" after it gets a redesign and rebadged from the TL "sometime spring next year."
Honda plans to showcase a number of new turbocharged engines and a new eight-speed dual-clutch transmission this week at the Tokyo Motor Show.
But Iwamura, speaking to reporters before the show, implied the carmaker would not use distinctive powertrain technologies to set Acura apart from the mass-market Honda brand.
3-motor hybrids