With the 2013 Acura ILX Hybrid, we celebrate two milestones. "ILX" is a brand-new nameplate for Honda's luxury division and it's also the first hybrid the Acura brand has ever offered. And while it shares much with its corporate cousin, the Honda Civic, the ILX Hybrid burst onto the scene with a smarter drivetrain, a more stylish exterior, and greater level of sophistication both in regards to its onboard tech and aesthetically enhanced interior.
Will Acura's newest baby become the luxury segment’s equivalent to the Honda Civic? Or will it suffer the same identity crisis many Acuras of late have undergone?
Most automakers have turned to cramming their hybrid models with all the latest tech features (especially in the luxury segment) by default. Meaning, you don't get the option to opt out, you just automatically get to pay more for the hybrid drivetrain and all the extra goodies thrown in as "standard". Acura has driven down a slightly different road with the ILX, offering both a base hybrid model ($28,900) and an upgraded version that's equipped with a technology package ($34,000). Our review car had the tech package and sported a decent number of welcome features that certainly add up to make the 2013 ILX Hybrid a strong choice for drivers hoping to get a large serving of digital goodness to go along with that fuel-sipping, earth-saving drivetrain.
Outside, there isn't much to distinguish the ILX Hybrid with the non-hybrid models save for two blue hybrid badges to the side and rear of the vehicle. Overall, the design is handsome if not a little unassuming. It's not as dramatic or refined as we'd come to expect from an entry-level luxury car but we'll take it all the same. And to be fair, it's not the weakest-looking model in Acura's lineup – that honor goes to the TSX's annoying mug.
Unlike other hybrids, like the Toyota Prius and even the Honda Civic Hybrid, the ILX is unable to operate on electricity alone; however it does employ a regenerative braking system that traps the kinetic energy created during braking and converts it to electricity in order to give the lithium-ion battery a little more zap.
Apparently, Acura's designers are a lot braver than we are and while its sensitivity calibration is certainly not a dealbreaker, it does become a nuisance.
