Acura Appears Open To An Entry-Level Crossover, But Says The Integra Is “Fighting The Fight Against CUVs”

Crossovers are king, but Acura doesn’t have an entry-level model to compete with the $36,400 Audi Q3, $35,400 BMW X1, $36,400 Mercedes GLA, or $34,225 Lexus UX.

Instead, the brand’s most affordable crossover is the RDX and it starts at $40,100. While Acura has been offering an entry-level CDX in China, it hasn’t come stateside despite pleas from dealers.

However, the company’s position on an entry-level crossover appears to be changing as Acura Brand Officer Jon Ikeda told Wards Auto, “We have to feed the [product] funnel.” While he wouldn’t say whether or not an entry-level crossover is in the works for America, Ikeda said the company is currently focused on launching the Integra and “then we’ll see where we can go.”

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That’s non-committal, but Ikeda suggested the Integra is one of the vehicles “fighting the fight against CUVs” due to its five-door body style. He went on to say “we want to buck the trend with this car” and note their research has shown millennials don’t want the crossovers that their parents have.

While there’s probably some truth in that, Acura is heavily dependent on crossovers. Last year, the company sold 117,070 of them in the United States and that compares to just 40,338 cars. In regards to the Integra, it will replace the aging ILX which only racked up 13,900 sales last year.

There’s little doubt the Integra will help boost sales, but it’s certainly no crossover. That leaves Acura with a sizable gap in their lineup and one that competitors are more than happy to exploit.