2019 Acura ILX Gains New Tech, Visual Intrigue, Some Personality

Matt Posky
by Matt Posky

Acura treated the world to a surprise — and much-needed — refresh for the 2019 ILX this week. While it hasn’t abandoned the brand’s signature visuals, it finally made the model interesting enough to warrant a closer examination. Previous incarnations of the ILX — including the post-2016 facelift — have proven excruciatingly dull, resulting in the quick onset of a cripplingly severe mental malaise.

Based on the ninth-generation Honda Civic, all one could really say about the 2018 ILX was that it was a competent vehicle and perfect for someone seeking luxury on a budget. Then came the brow furrowing, a long sigh, and an extended speech about the superiority of Acura’s TSX.

Normal people also appear to have noticed something was missing, as ILX sales have followed a downward trajectory since 2015. However, Acura’s new styling attempts to remedy that by injecting the sedan with some personality.

It hasn’t yielded the Farrah Fawcett of cars (or whoever is professionally attractive in 2018) but the changes are transformative. Acura says the ILX is new “from the A-pillars forward,” borrowing aspects of its Precision Concept. That has resulted in the removal of the brand’s iconic metal beak and the installation of a new diamond pentagon grille — which is the single biggest improvement to the car’s exterior.

Other big changes include upsized center badging, a revised front fascia, updated headlamps, and new taillights. There’s also a simulated rear diffuser, helping the back end of the vehicle match the front’s new sporting looks. If you want more of that, you can wrangle yourself the ILX A-Spec and net a set of 18-inch alloys, some darker trim pieces, and LED fog lamps. There’s A-Spec badging, as well, but we’re not sure why you’d want to advertise this — the option doesn’t influence the powertrain one iota.

You’ll still have a 2.4-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder with 201 horsepower and eight-speed dual-clutch automatic. Both of these are holdovers from the previous model year. But it’s still a peppier package than the base engine in the current Honda Civic and its ubiquitous CVT. Acura ILX buyers get a standard suite of active and passive safety systems, too — including automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane-departure warning and lane-keep assist.

The 2019 model also brings new seats with added support controls, fancier interior trim bits, and a two-screen infotainment system. Acura redesigned the layout to appear more modern, while new software is said to shorten the old digital response time by about 30 percent while making it easier to use. Both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity come standard now.

While we would have liked to see the A-Spec offering more than a unique color scheme and some visual baubles, the sedan seems to be steering itself in the right direction. Pricing hasn’t been announced. But all variants of the 2019 Acura ILX are expected to arrive on dealer lots in October, so we don’t anticipate a long wait.

[Images: Acura]

Matt Posky
Matt Posky

A staunch consumer advocate tracking industry trends and regulation. Before joining TTAC, Matt spent a decade working for marketing and research firms based in NYC. Clients included several of the world’s largest automakers, global tire brands, and aftermarket part suppliers. Dissatisfied with the corporate world and resentful of having to wear suits everyday, he pivoted to writing about cars. Since then, that man has become an ardent supporter of the right-to-repair movement, been interviewed on the auto industry by national radio broadcasts, driven more rental cars than anyone ever should, participated in amateur rallying events, and received the requisite minimum training as sanctioned by the SCCA. Handy with a wrench, Matt grew up surrounded by Detroit auto workers and managed to get a pizza delivery job before he was legally eligible. He later found himself driving box trucks through Manhattan, guaranteeing future sympathy for actual truckers. He continues to conduct research pertaining to the automotive sector as an independent contractor and has since moved back to his native Michigan, closer to where the cars are born. A contrarian, Matt claims to prefer understeer — stating that front and all-wheel drive vehicles cater best to his driving style.

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  • IBx1 IBx1 on Sep 07, 2018

    Pretty sure this is based on the 8th gen Civic, not the 9th gen. If this is just a refresh, it's one of a few models that come to mind that received more than one refresh to scrape the mold off. The 2016 refresh had a great front end design, fast, cohesive, and sharp lines. This droopy abomination is just another nail in the coffin. Maybe it's just me, but the ILX would sell better if it weren't 12 years old underneath.

  • Lon888 Lon888 on Sep 10, 2018

    What's that I spot by the drivers seat? An actual, real mechanical parking brake. I'm so tired of those cursed electric parking brakes. Kudos to Honda for keeping some things simple.

  • Lorenzo Heh. The major powers, military or economic, set up these regulators for the smaller countries - the big guys do what they want, and always have. Are the Chinese that unaware?
  • Lorenzo The original 4-Runner, by its very name, promised something different in the future. What happened?
  • Lorenzo At my age, excitement is dangerous. one thing to note: the older models being displayed are more stylish than their current versions, and the old Subaru Forester looks more utilitarian than the current version. I thought the annual model change was dead.
  • Lorenzo Well, it was never an off-roader, much less a military vehicle, so let the people with too much money play make believe.
  • EBFlex The best gift would have been a huge bonfire of all the fak mustangs in inventory and shutting down the factory that makes them.Heck, nobody would even have to risk life and limb starting the fire, just park em close together and wait for the super environmentally friendly EV fire to commence.
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