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By Toby Hagon
The Age
Thursday June 10 2004
Honda's upmarket Acura brand is headed for Australia, although its arrival will take "some time", according to Honda Australia managing director Hiroshi Toda.
http://drive.fairfax.com.au/content-...0/10acura2.jpg
Priming the Honda marque for an expansion into more luxurious models, Toda says the US-only brand, which is reserved for more expensive and sporty Hondas, will eventually arrive here.
"It's inevitable (that Acura will arrive here), but it is far away," says Toda.
"So, yes, longer term, because our plan is to grow and grow. But it will take some more time."
Toda is adamant there are no firm plans in place to introduce Acura, although he confirms early discussions have taken place.
However, the local managing director, who has helped return Honda to record sales on the back of several new-model launches, says it is important the Acura brand arrives here with a proper model line-up rather than one or two vehicles.
The obvious vehicle to wear the Acura badge in lieu of the better-known Honda label is the upcoming Legend -- shown recently as the RL prototype (pictured) -- but Toda says there will have to be more.
"We would have to have a large model line-up to make it sustainable," he says. "Having only the Legend (wearing the Acura badge) is not viable."
In America, where Acura is a respected brand, Honda vehicles such as the NSX, Integra and MDX are also sold under the Acura banner.
But Toda is cautious about introducing Acura too early, citing lack of brand recognition and a suitable dealer network as potential causes of failure.
"We have to make sure the current Honda franchise is successful and very strong before we introduce Acura," says Toda.
Acura would be the fourth upmarket brand from a Japanese manufacturer to be introduced locally, with only Toyota's Lexus brand being a success. Mazda's Eunos and Nissan's Infiniti both flopped with poor sales and lack of brand recognition.
Toda is aware of some car-makers' concerns that there are too many brands in Australia for the size of our market.
"That is not a concern to us -- it is an opportunity," he says.
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F U C K!!!!
Honda is about to be americanized in oz........it is a sad day.
If only the Japanese could see what Honda Australia is doing to the Honda legend.
EDIT: where 'legend' does not mean the model....but the legend of the brand name.....or somthing.....agian....iv had a few coldies....
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That's big news. I don't see how they're going to be able to do it in Australia. We simply don't have the population base and Honda's sales aren't exactly "booming" at present from what I've heard. I mean, I could understand if they did it in countries like the UK or whatever, where they can actually support such an introduction. Hmmm... much to ponder... :idea:
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I read this yesterday too...
Mr Toda was also talking about the demise of the Type R teg in Oz (in another article I think) and it appears as though the Type S will have less powerr...Mr Toda said that he sees it as the Integra "maturing".
F*ck that for a joke, but it sums up Honda Oz's direction perfectly.
Acura will fail miserably out here I believe
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let me get this right, they want to badge some models as acura's and charge us more for the badging? HAHAHAHA
okaaay
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w0000000t acura rsx
not :P
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Will be interesting to see how things unfold!
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It will die on the arse in Australia FOR SURE. People are too hung up on Toyotas, Fords and fricken Holdens down here. Man I hate those cars! :evil:
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I dont think mr average, who has owned holdens all his life, will be able to ACURA properly?
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Acura is a no hope in Australia.
No one wants an American Built Honda Lux car. Aussie's actually identify better with Honda, rather than an American brand name they have never heard of.....
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apparantly australians dont want good handling cars, we just want barges that go fast in a straight line, hence 4wds are so ****ing popular
then again, with the conditions of the roads around here, Im not surprised.. a car with low ride height and stiff springs will be destroyed
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the Next war..
honda vs acura
but the accord 2 door is nice
