Acura launches an ad blitz for the new TLX this month.
Counting on the all-new midrange TLX sport sedan to reverse years of weak sales, Acura will launch the largest and most expensive advertising blitz in the brand’s history.
The move could be critical for the Honda luxury marque, Acura sales tumbling 17.6% in July despite the addition of several recent sedans, the base ILX and flagship RLX. The TLX targets what Acura’s top executive Mike Accavitti has described as the “sweet spot” of the luxury market. But the challenge is to reach potential buyers who have largely written off the brand.
Acura will reveal its new ads this coming Friday – though it is already pitching the car in Canada by emphasizing performance and spirited driving. The American campaign will go live in mid-August, Accatti said, even as the maker and its motorsports partner, Real Time Racing, hope to build buzz with a track version of the TLX sedan.
The Honda division hasn’t been without its recent successes. It has a solid performer on hand in the form of the small RLX crossover, while the bigger, and recently updated MDX has posted a 55.5% year-over-year gain. But while those utes have posted 24 months of sales gains, Acura has been floundering in the still-critical luxury sedan market.
(Acura MDX sets sales record, but sedans remain a problem. Click Here for more.)
Part of the challenge with the launch of the TLX will be differentiating it from the mid-range Accord sold by parent Honda, though Accavitti insisted it is a ue vehicle with its own distinctive character and attributes and not just an upscale version of the Accord.
While the 2015 Acura TLX shares some components with the Accord , all of the key elements from the exterior sheet metal to the suspension, transmission and engine, differ significantly from those found in the Honda model, Acura representatives said.
For example, the 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine in the 3.5-liter V-6 TLX is new and significantly different from the powertrain used by Honda, its block, pistons, intake manifold and other pieces, as well as the electronic control unit, unique to Acura.
The upscale brand will use eight- or nine-speed transmissions, which are not offered by Honda. The result is both more power — 206 horsepower for the TLX 2.4 and 290 hp in the 3.5-liter version – as well as better fuel economy, though the final numbers haven’t been certified by the EPA yet.
Accavitti said the new TLX will replace not one but two different models, the TL and TSX, in the Acura lineup. Nonetheless, the introduction of the TLX represents a major opportunity for Acura to increase sales in the critical midsize segment now ruled by vehicles such as the BMW 3-Series, the Audi A4 and Mercedes-Benz C Class.
The introduction of the TLX gives Acura an opportunity to make its case in a key passenger car segment a vehicle that deliver prestige, performance and technology in a package that is dynamic and engaging, Accavitti said.
(Click Here for more on the 2015 Mercedes-Benz C-Class.)
Acura has already logged in more than 40,000 requests for information about the new TLX, giving the marketing effort a substantial head start, added Accavitti, who said he expected 50 % of the TLX buyers to be “conquests” new to the Acura brand.
However, Acura faces some serious challenges, noted Joseph Phillippi of New Jersey-based AutoTrends. The brands has never fulfilled its original promise and now faces major competition from the German luxury brands such as BMW and Mercedes, which have demonstrated a clear willingness to spend enormous amounts of money both on new products and for promotion.
The TLX, however, carries with it an impressive value story that could shake up the midsize premium market.
(For more on the 2015 Acura TLX, Click Here.)
An “official” TLX web site has prices starting at $31,000 plus — plus $895 in destination charges — for the base model with the 2.4-liter engine and eight speed transmission. That climbs to $45,000 for the V-6 with the nine-speed transmission and all-wheel-drive. The new Mercedes-Benz C300, which debuts later this month, starts at $39,325, plus $925 delivery. That’s a big jump for 2015 as Mercedes rejigs its line-up, but even the old base model, the 2014 C250, started at $36,725.
Whether that’s enough of a difference to draw buyers over to Acura showrooms remains to be seen.
(Paul A. Eisenstein contributed to this report.)