Acura is heading into a critical phase of brand rebuilding with the launch of a redesigned MDX crossover this month, the new generation of the TLX sedan that went on sale late last year and the return of the Type S sports trim for both models this year.
Redesigned products and a renewed focus on performance were major themes at the Acura make meeting during the NADA Show last week, with expectations for stronger sales ahead, said John Connelly, chairman of the Acura National Dealer Advisory Board and owner of Acura Columbus in Dublin, Ohio.
American Honda and Acura executives attending the meeting declared this to be "the year of Type S," Connelly said.
"We'll see it in the MDX and TLX. They know that the customers have been asking for it, and they said it will be a good boost for the year."
Acura last marketed Type S variants more than a decade ago. The MDX is the first crossover to get the performance treatment. Connelly said he's hopeful that both the TLX and MDX with the sports trim will be on dealership lots in the first half of the year.
Inventories, which are an industrywide concern because of the coronavirus and a semiconductor shortage, were a key topic of the meeting. Acura is focused mostly on ramping up production of the MDX and making sure dealers have enough supply given strong customer demand for the new generation of the three-row crossover.