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The 2019 Acura ILX is much more than the automaker's latest attempt to introduce "precision performance" into the category of small luxury goods. For Acura, it's the culmination of a reinvention of design to make cars more distinctive, more memorable and more appealing.
It began in early 2016 with the revelation of the Acura Precision concept. Rather than viewing a single production model, the concept car rather predicts the new aesthetic of Acura as a whole. The beaked grille and the apologetic curves have disappeared, replaced by a daring fascia "diamond pentagon" and lines well wrinkled.
Since then, this stylistic approach has blossomed into the Acura range, culminating in what is arguably the automaker's most important car. ILX 2019 is the cheapest Acura you can buy. It starts at only $ 25,900 (plus the destination at $ 995). Its value, however, rises much higher.
Like many small luxury cars, this is the gateway to the brand for new customers. In the case of ILX in particular, the car also has the highest percentage of millennial owners in the segment – and for Acura as a whole. Therefore, fully exploit the ILX experience and make sure that a captive audience of loyal drivers remains captive for decades.
Style Acura ILX 2019
With that kind of responsibility resting on his shoulders, the new ILX can not afford to stumble. Fortunately, the exterior remodeling was a huge success. If the old car gets soft against more and more daring rivals, the 2019 model will fill this gap again.
On the front, this means the new family grille and a bigger and more proud badge. It is flanked by an updated version of Acura's "Jewel Eye" headlamps, now featuring seven individual LED segments, and distinctive, flamboyant daytime running lights. The front fairing is also new, cleaner and more balanced, while the hood has acquired more sculpted lines.
The back, meanwhile, cleans well too. Leaving the trunk lid registration plate on the lower bumper instantly changes the position of the ILX: the car looks wider at the bottom, confidently planted on the road. The new LED taillight groups are less difficult and more elegant. Even the standard 17-inch alloy wheels look great.
The ILX A-Spec 2019 car, meanwhile, sees the Acura sports package add style. For example, you ride on 18-inch Shark Gray wheels and get a rear axle lip spoiler, LED fog lights, metal sport pedals and underbody spoilers.
There are also new colors, including a Platinum White Pearl update. Four premium finishes – Canyon Bronze Metallic, Majestic Pearl Black, Performance Red Pearl and Apex Blue Pearl – leave the ILX even more eye-catching.
Interior of the Acura ILX 2019
While exterior changes are dramatic, Acura's internal treatment for ILX 2019 is a bit more subtle. Granted, there is the possibility of something more in your face: a red interior option, with leather inserts and Ultrasuede, is now available on the ILX A-Spec. The other new option, Espresso Brown, is a little less aggressive.
Acura understands the basics. The seats are comfortable and well reinforced, with standard 10-way power adjustment on the driver's side. Even the ILX base comes with a leather-wrapped steering wheel, power sunroof, keyless entry and keyless entry, dual zone air conditioner, heated front seats and a multi-view rear view camera.
The 2019 ILX Premium models ship in Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, sport leather seats, blind spot warnings, an enhanced audio system with subwoofer, SiriusXM, a rear traffic monitoring system and power tuning 4-way front passenger seat. Then comes the ILX Technology version, with navigation, real-time traffic, and the Acura ELS 10-speaker audio system. Premium or Technology versions can be obtained in A-Spec form.
So it's a well-equipped car, especially for the price. Nevertheless, I can not help but wish Acura dedicated a little more time to finishing the dashboard. There are many buttons and knobs, too many, could come, and the dual display infotainment system Acura. The bottom panel is a touch screen and a scroll wheel underneath; Unfortunately, you do not have the Acura True Touchpad control system that works just as well with the 2019 RDX.
Acura said the new ILX touchscreen was now 30% more responsive, but it was stuck in a user interface that seemed totally out of date. The switchgear is also a bit plasticky and some of the essential touch points do not match what you would expect from a car in the luxury segment. The steering wheel is nice, for example, as well as the shifter of the gearbox, but the dashboard receives a strip of trim without interest. A Honda Civic dashboard feels more pleasant, frankly.
2019 Acura ILX security
The argument of the builder may well be that he chose to spend his money in more important areas, including security. AcuraWatch, the suite of active security features, is now standard in all ILX versions. This is a big problem in the category.
That means you get adaptive cruising control, collision reduction, lane maintenance support, and fewer road departures – all without spending a penny more. To put that in context, if you want these features on a comparable Audi A3, for example, Acura tells you that you plan to shell out $ 8,750 more than the already higher price of $ 31,950.
Acura ILX 2019 on the road
With the same 2.4L four-cylinder in-line engine and the 8-speed DCT gearbox as before, the 2019 ILX delivers 201 horsepower and 180 pound-feet of torque, just like last year . It is designed for 24 mpg in the city and 34 mpg on the highway, for 28 mpg combined.
I've spent my time on the road in an A-Spec car, though, aside from the slightly larger wheels, there are no mechanical modifications that should affect the driving sensation compared to the rest of the ILX range. Acura invited us to Columbus, Ohio, our itinerary, in the shadow of some of her larger facilities – including the exclusive factory where she built the NSX by hand. On the road, the ILX was not quite up, but it can still be attractive.
The four-cylinder engine is hard-hitting and fast-paced, avoiding the trendy turbocharger in the segment to stay true to natural suction. With the "D" transmission, the car prefers to ride; for large country roads and occasional narrow turns, I have by far preferred the 8 speed "S" mode, which has left ILX more enthusiastic.
There is no SH-AWD system, Acura's AWD system, but the ILX is often bent as if no one had told it was missing. The power is cut off by the front wheels and there is a pleasant emergency – especially if you are ready to break yourself the proper shift paddles – making your job easier everyday. In sports mode, the ILX will not even trigger the automatic transmission after a while, a common complaint in many so-called sport sedans.
Verdict
As a refresh, of course, Acura is limited in its ability to address some of the lingering problems regarding ILX. The free space in the interior is still quite narrow and the space of 12.3 cubic feet in the trunk is pretty minimal for the segment. A more convincing dashboard is probably the most pressing demand, but it will have to wait for a brand new car.
Nevertheless, the ILX 2019 has everything to please. No, it's not going to put the hair on fire, but I think it suits the category. The former ILX has always been well behaved on the asphalt, but he has never looked at it. The discreet style has disappeared and the new distinctive Acura muzzle in place, the ILX is much more memorable, both front and back.
Badge snobs may still prefer the alternative Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz, but they will have to dig in the rear to match the highly competitive price of Acura. AcuraWatch's AcuraWatch standard active safety technology is, in particular, something that the rest of the auto industry could do worse than copying. This, along with the price displayed, help keep the Acura ILX 2019 competitive in a segment that will only get more and more important.
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