Acura Dresses Up the Civic as the New ILX Compact Sedan, goes on Sale this Spring [Video]

While the NSX Concept is the undisputed star of Acura’s booth at the 2012 Detroit Motor Show, the Japanese automaker also brought along a more down-to-earth study that is the precursor to the new ILX luxury compact sedan.

With the exception of a few minor cosmetic details such as the bumper trims and the flashy alloy wheels, the ILX is pretty much production ready, which shouldn’t surprise anyone given that it’s scheduled for launch in North America this spring.

The ILX is based on the current Honda Civic but unlike the Canadian market CSX, which it also replaces, Acura dressed up the compact sedan in a unique body with a raked greenhouse, pronounced rear wings and for better or for worse, its single-tooth front grille.

Acura says that the ILX will also sport a “well-appointed interior” with several features like a smart entry keyless access system and pushbutton start, a Pandora internet radio interface and SMS text message function.

The engine lineup is sourced from the Civic and includes an entry-level 2.0-liter inline-four, a high-performance 2.4-liter 4-cylinder paired with a six-speed manual transmission and a 1.5-liter gasoline-electric hybrid powertrain, which will be Acura’s first-ever hybrid offering.

Recent news reports suggested that the ILX would effectively replace the larger TSX as Acura looks to simplify its sedan range.

The Japanese company stated that pricing will start “well below US$30,000”. The ILX will be built at Honda’s Indiana plant.

VIDEO