The Renault Megane CC Summer Edition comes standard with charcoal leather seats and new 18-inch alloy wheels. The extra features add $3300 value to the Megane CC, yet the Summer Edition comes at no extra cost, priced from $45,990 before on-road costs. It will be available for a limited time only.
Renault Australia managing director Justin Hocevar says the Megane CC Summer Edition is a reflection of the options commonly selected by local customers.
Honda is seeking to revive the luxury brand and attract younger buyers with the ILX. It will start from between $25,000 and $30,000, said Lee DaSilva, a product planner. Almost a quarter of the 40,000 ILX sedans the company plans to sell each year will be hybrids, he said. Equipped with a 1.5-liter engine, it will be Acura's first gasoline-electric auto.
“Everybody cares about fuel costs,” Michael Accavitti, Honda's vice president of U.S. marketing, said in an interview in Chicago in advance of tomorrow's auto show. “I don't care how much money you make.”
One thing I've always liked about the Acura RDX is its styling. It has always been modern, but it isn't way out there in never-never land. "Tasteful" is probably the best description.
I also like the RDX's size. In this case, it isn't that much unlike most of the other mid-size SUVs. To me, this is the most practical size. Sure, there are times when a big Suburban or 15-passenger van suits your immediate needs, but the RDX's size is near-perfect. It's comfortable for trips around town or on the Interstate. Goldilocks would like it; it isn't too big, nor is it too small.
The "standard" RDX has always been equipped with a 3.5-liter V6, or one of similar size. However, this version is fitted with a 2.3-liter turbocharged four. The engine puts out 240 horsepower and 260 lb.-ft. of torque, so there's enough power there to do most anything you'd want, apart from drag racing.
SPECIFICATIONS : 2012 Acura RDX
Model: 2012 Acura RDX SH-AWD
Engine: 2.3-liter DOHC turbocharged I4
Horsepower/Torque: 240 hp @ 6,000 rpm/260 lb.-ft. @ 4,500 rpm
Transmission: 5-speed automatic
Wheelbase: 104.3 in.
Length/Width/Height: 182.5 x 73.6 x 65.2 in.
Tires: P235/55R18
Cargo volume: 27.8/60.6 cu. ft. (rear seats up/down)
Fuel economy: 17 mpg city/22 mpg highway/17.4 mpg test
Fuel capacity: 18.0 gal.
Curb weight: 3,931 lbs.
Sticker: $38,880 (includes $885 destination and handling charge)
Based on the Honda Civic platform but with an entirely unique design and cabin, the ILX offers a lot of interior room; the rest of the cars in this group don't.
The interior is in line with the TSX and RDX in terms of materials quality. The center stack of controls is perhaps the simplest I've seen in an Acura in years. The interior design also feels sporty, but what impressed me most was the legroom in back. With the driver's seat adjusted for my 5-foot-10 frame, I had plenty of knee room in the backseat. Pardon the poor iPhone photo below.
The practical stuff is all here, including modest powertrains, but at least the ILX is a looker. This is also why I applaud automakers for bringing more than one exterior color. The car that was placed on the pedestal was a boring bronze, but one nearby in black showed off its curvaceous rear much better.
Acura's much maligned beak-like shield is also better integrated on the ILX than on the TL and RL.
Perhaps Acura is clawing its way out of the doldrums with what should be its most boring car.
Even if you find the 2013 Acura ILX’s powertrain options underwhelming, it would be disingenuous to suggest the car is a quick 2012 Honda Civic rebadge. The new Acura has presence and a bit of style for what’s intended to be an entry-level, compact, premium sedan. Don’t believe us? Take a closer look at the gallery below, which features the 2013 Acura ILX alongside the 2012 Honda Civic and 2012 Acura TSX. Compared to the Civic and TSX designs, we think the ILX’s styling is sufficiently different to justify its existence.
From the front, the 2013 Acura ILX is instantly identifiable as an Acura thanks to the power plenum badge. Unlike the 2012 Acura TSX sedan, though, the 2013 ILX features a carefully sculpted hood that draws more attention to the grille. The ILX’s lower front fascia is more subtle than the TSX’s layout, and that theme continues to the wheel well flares.
It’s important to address the elephant in the room because a two+one door coupe/hatch is not a completely unique idea. There is another vehicle on the market that originally created this niche: the Mini Cooper Clubman. Unfortunately for Mini fans in Australia, the Clubman has its two passenger side doors on the wrong side for our right-hand drive market (which makes getting in and out of the back seats a relatively risky task when parked on the road), whilst the Veloster offers the dual passenger doors on the kerb side.
