Ding Dong Will The BEAK Be Gone? Acura Appoints New Boss And A New Direction

The unexpected appointment of Jon Ikeda to head Acura puts him on a short list of top brand executives in the auto industry who got there by way of the design studios rather than the business offices.

It's a route that has produced mixed results. But having a designer in charge of a luxury brand that's light on cachet could be exactly the shot in the arm Acura needs, both for its product portfolio and its relationship with the Honda mothership in Japan.

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cidflekken - 8/3/2015 6:51:46 PM

-1 Boost

"Ding Dong the Beak is Gone?" Gotta admit, a hilarious headline.

MDarringer - 8/3/2015 8:08:58 PM

-5 Boost

Please focus on gorgeous styling

Sciros - 8/3/2015 11:43:40 PM

0 Boost

Well, I certainly hope this isn't BAD news. Acura needs an improvement in styling, sportiness, and spirit. I don't like the ~~X naming convention but it DOES keep attention on the brand as opposed to individual models. I also don't know what that's really worth -- I am not a professional in the automotive marketing space.

Looking forward to what changes this may bring. Acura used to be one of my favorite marques.

MDarringer - 8/4/2015 10:56:40 AM

-5 Boost

Acura needs a complete rethink.

Acura must stop being a Japanese Mercury. Their flaw is that Honda creates a car, Acura messes with the styling, jacks up the price and calls it premium.

No one is fooled.

The ILX let's you know it's a Civic loud and clear. The TLX is a nicer looking Accord and the RLX definitely let's you know it's a slightly inflated Accord. The same applies to their SUVs..."Oh this is the Acura version of the Honda..."

What does Acura have that is bespoke? Well there is the NSX, but the sales volume of the NSX will be a trickle and its price point will be so high that its purpose as a halo for the brand is dubious at best.

As for engineering, what do you get with an Acura that Honda doesn't have? Virtually nothing. Why weren't the RLX and TLX given their own, aluminum-based platform?

Let's also drop the SHAWD name for AWD. If you have to tell people your car is "super handling" then it probably isn't. SHAWD is just garden-variety AWD like everyone else has.

Honda should phone Hyundai/Kia and beg to platform share. The Genesis is much more premium than the RLX and it is a much better car for less. Using the Genesis as the basis for a new Acura Legend would be a huge win for both companies.

bwallace - 8/10/2015 12:04:00 PM

+1 Boost

MDarringer, you are obviously misinformed. the SH-awd system is not a standard system, in fact probably the best awd system in production today. also the is250 is a corolla, the q3 is a golf, the a4 is a jetta, the a5 is a cc, the a6 is a passatt, q5 is a tiguan, q7 is a taureg. the avalon is the..... anyways, acura does what everyone else does, just the styling isn't exciting. therefore a designer as the new head. Hopefully he doesn't hold back on the cars. The civic type R is faster than the bmw m3, why don't they make an ILX faster than the M3? probably wouldn't mind that.