DETROIT – In what’s sure to be a blow to a small but dedicated group of Acura buyers, Honda’s near-luxury brand confirms speculation there will be no wagon variant of its new midsize TLX sport sedan.
The ’15 TLX, expected to go on sale this summer, replaces the TSX and TL in Acura’s U.S. lineup. The TSX has had a wagon body style since the ’11 model year.
“We just didn’t find great demand for (a wagon),” Mike Accavitti, senior vice president-automobile operations for American Honda, tells WardsAuto at the North American International Auto Show.
In an interview with WardsAuto last year, Accavitti said fans of the TSX wagon were writing to Acura, begging for the model to be spared.
“There is market demand out there, don’t get me wrong,” he says. “But there’s not enough to justify the expense of developing the vehicle. Never says never – there are opportunities for incremental growth – but at this stage of the game, we’re just talking about a sedan.”
Acura also is ruling out a TLX hybrid, although Accavitti says the brand would consider any model if there’s enough market demand. Acura soon will introduce a hybrid version of its larger RLX flagship sedan.
He also doesn’t foresee buyer confusion by offering the RLX with a 6-speed automatic or 7-speed dual-clutch transmission, and the smaller TLX with an 8-speed DCT or 9-speed automatic, noting during his 25 years in the business, he hasn’t met many people who have brought a vehicle based solely on the transmission.
With the TLX, Acura rectifies a problem of having too many sedans too close in size.
“We have crowded showrooms right now,” Accavitti says. “The vehicles are too close (in size and pricing). We’re finding there weren’t that many buyer differences for those cars that were right on top of each other.”
Most details about the ’15 TLX still are under wraps, including pricing and the number of customers Acura expects will opt for the 2.4L direct-injected 4-cyl. engine mated to the 8-speed DCT or the 3.5L DI V-6 that will be paired with the 9-speed automatic.
The current TL’s only powertrain is a V-6. But the TSX offers a 4-cyl. and a V-6, with the 4-cyl. traditionally the best-selling variant.
