Acura Looks to All-Wheel-Drive to Help Boost Sales

Acura is currently looking at a plan that would make all-wheel-drive standard on all of its vehicles as a way to differentiate itself and to improve sales.

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It’s no secret that Acura has struggled for years to secure its place in the luxury market and with a lineup that is newer than many of its competitors, it remains to be seen if Acura will finally succeed. Even though the jury is still out, Acura is already working on another way that it could differentiate itself – all-wheel-drive.
All-wheel-drive is already sold on half of the Acura’s vehicles in the U.S., but the technology could soon become standard across the board. Acura has been criticized for years for its lack of having rear-wheel-drive vehicles and larger V8 engines, but Acura’s all-wheel-drive system could help revive the brand, much in the same way that it did for Subaru in 1990s.

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“I think that’s the way we should go,” said Koichi Fukuo, Acura’s top global executive.
All-wheel-drive is one of several ideas that is backed by a new U.S.-based Acura Business Planning Office that was formed in February to rethink the brand and help improve its sales. Fukuo presented the all-wheel-drive plan to the Honda Motor board on October 7, but the idea has not been finalized.

“As a premium brand, we need something different from the competition,” Fukuo stated.

Right now everything model with the exception of the entry-level ILX is offered all-wheel-drive, but it could take years to make all-wheel-drive standard since almost every model in Acura’s lineup is relatively new.

Source: Acura via Automotive News