After years of low sales numbers, Acura has confirmed that it is killing the RLX after the 2020 model year. The information was first reported by AutomotiveNews. In 2019, Acura, the luxury arm of Honda, sold just 1,019 versions of the model. Only 204 versions of the car have been sold so far in 2020.
The RLX is the largest sedan model in the Acura lineup and is larger than every sedan in the Honda stable as well.
At its height, Acura’s midsize RLX sold over 5,000 units in a year, but that was 2013 and back then the RLX looked fresh and the market was still finding sedans an attractive choice.
The car hasn’t been updated since its mid-cycle facelift in 2018. Then it received a number of upgrades including a fresh front seat, new interior accent options, Acura’s standard suite of safety technology, and a 10-speed automatic transmission.
The model isn’t the first sedan to be cancelled this year. Cadillac has put the CT6 sedan on the chopping block as part of a brand restructuring and General Motors plant reorganization plan.
Acura will continue to sell the ILX and TLX sedans.
Rumor has it that Acura is looking at bringing back the Integra nameplate as it strives to reclaim the premium performance grandeur that helped make the nameplate so popular a few decades ago. The company is expected to debut a redesigned MDX SUV later this year, which will go on sale as a 2021 model.
Acura is also gearing up to sell more performance-focused variants of its models, in the same vein as the product plan Audi has been successfully executing for years. Audi refers to these as “S” and “RS” models. Acuras will wear Type S badging.
Acura will continue to sell the RLX in other markets, where it goes by the Legend name. The automaker is not planning a successor to the RLX in the U.S.
2020 Acura RLX
Photo courtesy of Acura
2020 Acura RLX
Photo courtesy of Acura
2020 Acura RLX
Photo courtesy of Acura
2020 Acura RLX
Photo courtesy of Acura
2020 Acura RLX
Photo courtesy of Acura
2020 Acura RLX
Photo courtesy of Acura