News: Buh-Bye Acura RL, no more gas powered Civic in Japan?

Honda is set to make some big changes to its product lineup, at home and abroad, eliminating the Acura RL and dropping the gas-powered Civic model from its lineup in Japan.

We can’t say we’re surprised about the demise of the slow-selling RL, especially after Acura recently released the TL SH-AWD model with the same engine, essentially making the RL redundant. Many blame the lack of a V8 and a true rear-drive architecture for Acura’s lack of success in the full-size luxury segment. The RL is sold as the Legend in other markets. In addition, Honda will also eliminate the Elysion minivan.

The biggest surprise, however, is that in Japan Honda will no longer offer a gasoline-powered Civic. Hybrid cars are increasingly becoming the norm in Japan, and so Honda will continue to offer the Civic in Japan, only in hybrid form.

Instead, Honda will focus on models like the Insight and other green models, as well as more entry-level cars.

This news comes via Japan’s Nikkei business paper, which also reports that the new Civic will debut in the Fall of 2011.

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Yesterday it was announced that the RL would be cut from the Acura lineup. But today, Honda officials in the U.S. are saying “not so fast.”

A report in Japan’s Nikkei business paper cited sources inside the automaker who said the Legend (as its known in Japan) would be cut from the lineup globally. The news actually came as little surprise, with the RL’s sales dismally low as Acura made its flagship vehicle redundant by offering the same engine and drivetrain in the only-slightly-smaller TL SH-AWD model. In fact, Acura has sold just 872 RL models compared to the 5,650 Lexus LS models sold and the 6,602 Infiniti M models sold.

In a statement released yesterday Honda’s luxury arm took the position that, “This morning erroneous media reports began to surface suggesting that Acura’s RL model would be discontinued. These reports are untrue. The RL continues to be the flagship for the Acura brand and we have no plans to discontinue it.”

This news actually comes as more of a shock than yesterday’s report, for the outlined reasons above, as well as the fact that the lack of a RWD layout and V8 engine have relegated the RL to the bottom of the luxury heap. It’s possible that this is just a PR effort to keep the RL badge alive so Honda dealers can move the remaining stock from their lots. However, Acura has been rumored to be developing a V6 hybrid system for the next-generation RL that would give the model V8-like power and excellent fuel economy.

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Selon Reuters, Honda abandonnera la berline Legend ainsi que la fourgonnette Elysion au Japon afin de se concentrer sur des voitures plus petites et moins dispendieuses.

Chez nous, on connaît la Legend comme étant la Acura RL, qui s’appelait autrefois Legend lorsque la bannière Acura a été lancée dans les années ’80. Avec ses ventes très discrètes, la RL sera vraisemblablement retirée en même temps, puisque la relocalisation de sa production semble très improbable.

De plus, seules des versions hybrides de la Civic seraient bientôt offertes au Japon, ce qui signifie que des Civic à essence conventionnelles ne seraient plus vendues là-bas. Ceci n’affectera sûrement pas la situation de la Civic en Amérique du Nord, puisque la voiture est assemblée de notre côté de l’océan de toute façon.

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@cUr@-TL said:

Only econoboxes and hybrids... that will make for one boring line-up!

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@cUr@-TL said:

Only econoboxes and hybrids... that will make for one boring line-up!

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Ayashifx55 said:

Acura RL is such a failure. We all know it costed about twice the price of an TSX and probably 20-30k more than a TL but it looked old as shit. RL was one of the least selling cars and i dont see much on the road seriously. You must be freaking dumb to buy one. TL is the perfect sedan if you want an acura/honda. The new accords , forget it, they look like they will be driven by old people ... I think Hyundai is starting to kick ass ..... Toyota is doing great. Honda is doing bad from what i see. Cars are too expensive ...

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Drunkn~st4r said:

honda sucks. making the worst looking cars in the industry ''cough'' ..crosstour ''cough''

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