Acura ILX

Acura ILX at a glance

From concept to production

Acura showed the ILX concept at the North American International Auto Show in January 2012. The production car followed at the Chicago show a month later. The old version of this page noted that the production saloon differed from the concept in its bumpers and wheel design.

Mass production began on 23 April 2012 at Honda's plant in Greensburg, Indiana, and US sales started on 22 May 2012. The design language was called "aero-fused dynamics". In Canada the ILX replaced the CSX, which had also been a Civic-based Acura. Its family ties are covered in our history of Acura, and the Civic side in our page on the Honda Civic Si.

Engines and gearboxes, 2013–2022

The hybrid shared its powertrain with the Civic Hybrid and was dropped in July 2014 because of slow sales; 2,660 had been sold by May 2014. Manual gearboxes made up only about 4 % of ILX sales in 2013–2015, so Acura dropped the manual for 2016.

The old version of this page said the 2016 engine had 204 hp and came from the TLX. Acura's figure is 201 hp, or 150 kW, from the K24V7 version of the 2.4. The eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox was paired with a torque converter, which the old version of this page also noted; Honda used this layout to make starts from rest smoother.

Fuel economy and dimensions

By our calculation, the 2.4 ILX carries about 9.5 kg per kW in its heaviest form and 9.0 kg per kW in the lightest. The conversions from US mpg follow the method of our fuel economy converter, and you can price a year of driving with the fuel cost calculator.

The 2016 update in detail

Acura unveiled the updated ILX at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November 2014, and it went on sale in February 2015 as a 2016 model. Production moved to Marysville, Ohio, in January 2015. Apart from the single engine and the dual-clutch gearbox, the main change was the "Jewel Eye" LED headlamp design, which became standard.

The old version of this page described further changes. The grille and tail lamps were revised, and an A-Spec package added a rear spoiler, side-sill trims, fog lamps and 18-inch wheels. Inside, thicker side glass, extra insulation and active noise cancellation made the cabin quieter. A-Spec cars had perforated suede-trimmed seats, aluminium pedals, red instrument lighting and a black interior with grey stitching.

Higher trims used Acura's two-screen layout, with an 8-inch upper display for navigation and a 7-inch touchscreen below, plus a small screen between the dials. The AcuraWatch package with adaptive cruise control was offered on upper trims before it became standard in 2019.

The 2019 update and the end of the ILX

The second update was revealed in September 2018. It brought Acura's "Diamond Pentagon" grille, new headlamps, bumpers and tail lamps, and an infotainment system that Acura said was 30 % faster. The A-Spec gained 18-inch wheels, red or black leather with Ultrasuede inserts and aluminium pedals. The engine and gearbox did not change.

Production ended in February 2022, after the 2022 model year. The ILX was replaced by the Integra liftback, which is based on the eleventh-generation Civic and revived a famous Acura name.

ILX sales in North America

The best US year was 2013, with 20,430 cars. The 2019 facelift lifted US sales by about 30 % over 2018, but the ILX never returned to its launch-year level.

ILX compared with the Civic Si

Compared with the ninth-generation Civic Si, the early ILX 2.4 shares the same engine code and gearbox type, and from 2014 the Si had 3 kW more. The Acura's advantage was a quieter, better-trimmed cabin. Compared with the TSX it replaced as Acura's cheapest US saloon, the ILX is smaller and simpler; see the Acura TSX for the older car.

Buying a used ILX: what to check

Canadian buyers' guide AutoTrader.ca lists the main points for 2013–2018 cars:

• Dual-clutch gearbox: check for hard shifts or a delay of two to three seconds from reverse to drive; Acura issued service bulletin 17-015 with software and a break-in procedure.
• Brakes: listen for scraping or grinding and check that the pedal stays firm.
• Electronics: radio presets that reset, a blurred reversing camera and key fobs that do not work.
• Oil use: some owners report oil consumption between services, so check the level often.
• Recalls: three were issued for this generation; ask a dealer to check the VIN.

The 2016 ILX earned an IIHS Top Safety Pick+ and the 2015 car a five-star NHTSA rating, according to the same guide.