Who is Acura owned by?
Acura is a luxury vehicle brand owned by the Japanese automaker Honda Motor Company. Acura was launched in the United States and Canada in 1986, making it Honda's luxury division and the first Japanese luxury brand to be introduced in North America.
Honda's Luxury Division
Acura was established by Honda in 1986 as its luxury vehicle division, with the goal of creating a separate brand that could compete with other premium automakers like Lexus, Infiniti, and Cadillac. The first two Acura models introduced were the Legend sedan and the Integra sports car/hatchback.
Since its inception, Acura has been responsible for introducing several innovative technologies and design features to the luxury automotive market, including:
- The first mass-produced aluminum-bodied vehicle (the 1990 Acura NSX)
- The first luxury SUV with a longitudinally mounted engine (the 2001 Acura MDX)
- The first luxury brand to offer a hybrid electric vehicle (the 2005 Acura RLX Hybrid)
Today, Acura's lineup includes sedans, SUVs, and sports cars, all of which are designed and engineered by Honda to meet the needs of luxury consumers.
Honda's Ownership and Management
Acura is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Honda Motor Company, which is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. Honda has maintained full control over Acura's design, engineering, and manufacturing since the brand's inception. Acura vehicles are produced at Honda's manufacturing facilities in the United States, Canada, and Japan.
While Acura operates as a separate luxury division, it benefits from Honda's extensive resources, engineering expertise, and global manufacturing capabilities. This allows Acura to offer premium vehicles that combine Honda's reputation for quality, reliability, and innovation with the features and performance expected of a luxury brand.
