When you say Acura, what’s the first defining feature of the brand that springs to mind?
If you draw a blank, then there’s definitely something to Koichi Fukuo’s wish of making all-wheel drive standard across the US-based Japanese automaker’s range, in a bid to carve out its own niche and differentiate itself from the competition.
Koichi, who according to Automotive News, is Acura’s top global executive, recently expressed his opinion on the matter. He said “the key is AWD,” and “I think that’s the way we should go,” concluding with “as a premium brand, we need something different from the competition.”
Making it standard would bring Acura closer in line with the likes of Audi, with its Quattro system, and Subaru, even though the latter is not a premium name. It wouldn’t be that big a departure, though, since Acura already offers awd on all models bar the ILX sedan (pictured); it’s just that it’s not standard on any of them.
The system it may use is a revamped version of Honda’s Super Handling All-Wheel Drive system, simply known as SH-AWD, though there’s also Acura’s own Sport Hybrid SH-AWD, which also adds electrification into the mix. It’s the same basic system used in the upcoming NSX supercar.
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