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Honda to kill RL/Legend(update not anymore but no one knows its alive so it is dead)

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Old 07-16-10 | 07:52 AM
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LexFather
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Arrow Honda to kill RL/Legend(update not anymore but no one knows its alive so it is dead)

Damn Unicorns

Well many of us called it over 5 years ago, the 2nd gen RL was going to fail and fail hard. Well it did. We told you so below

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/car...l?highlight=RL

Over the years fanbois have come to its defense with illogical loyalty when all the signs were clear this car is completely lackluster and Honda/Acura has absolutely no clue how to produce a true luxury vehicle. For over 15 years they have basically tarted up an Accord platform and do not get the memo that more investment is needed. They dropped a tremendously valuable name in the "Legend" so people can say "Acura" like that really means something. My goodness we watched as Infiniti has debuted 3 different generations of the M45 and substantially upgrading the car while Acura completely half-asses the RL for over a decade.

Even if they don't discontinue it, the name RL is so tarnished with failure they need to drop the name. Even if they finally decide to bring a V-8 or RWD it is decades too late. HYUNDAI has what the RL should have been in the Genesis. Think about it, HYUNDAI makes what Acura does not.

If this does get canceled, Acura will have 2 sedans, 3 SUVs and a Civic rebdage coming. If that isn't exciting and get your heart racing I don't know what will

I say good riddance.

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/07/16/r...y-discontinue/



[Word coming from Japan's Nikkei business daily (as reported by Reuters) indicates that Honda has finally decided to discontinue the slow selling Acura RL and its Japanese market counterpart, the Honda Legend.

Ostensibly the flagship of Acura's brand here in North America, the RL has been a slow-seller for quite some time, upstaged in part by the company's less-expensive, higher-volume TL sedan. For some years now, the TL has offered more space, similar tech and even more power (in the Type S model), making the RL a particularly tough sell for dealers. Through the first half of this year, only 872 RLs have been sold in the United States.

Another production change reported by the Nikke that would only affect the Japanese market is the discontinuation of conventional gasoline versions of the Civic. If accurate, that would mean that from now until at least until the next-generation Civic arrives in the Fall of 2011, Honda will only sell the Civic hybrid in its home market.

In addition, the JDM Elysion minivan is also apparently set to get the axe.

Autoblog reached out to Honda for comment on the Nikkei story, and spokesman Chuck Schifsky would only say that the automaker does not comment on future product plans, noting that no official announcement has been made about the fate of the RL/Legend, the JDM Civic or the Elysion
Old 07-16-10 | 08:36 AM
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huh? so the tl will be the flagship?! wow, i don't know where to start
Old 07-16-10 | 08:42 AM
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Great their hacking the RL away, they really need to do is hack away the whole Acura brand.. There engineering and styling has been lacking and it just needs to go..
Old 07-16-10 | 08:52 AM
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I think Acura is done.

Just make Special Edition Hondas in the Honda lot.

Scrap Acura and (maybe) start all over.
Old 07-16-10 | 08:54 AM
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This is sad, IMO. If Honda ever had the cojones, brains, and interest in making the RL a legitimate mid-size contender, they could have easily made it happen. Unfortunately they just decided to gussy-up Accord platforms and sign off on projects that were "just good enough".

In the end, Acura really deserves this, but not by their own accord (pun...lol). Honda is letting the company die on the vine. When you really think about it, what is the difference between Acura and Mercury...? This is the same treatment that GM gave Cadillac and Buick for so many years.
Old 07-16-10 | 09:07 AM
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Originally Posted by rominl
huh? so the tl will be the flagship?! wow, i don't know where to start
Nah, the ZDX is the flagship remember? Lol!
Old 07-16-10 | 09:18 AM
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Acura was only created because North Americans like luxury badging, but if Hyundai is going to have 'higher end' cars under the same badge as their regular stuff I'm sure Honda could get away with it too.
Old 07-16-10 | 09:41 AM
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Better to do it before they start recording negative sales (for dealer returns). Certainly a failure in the US market over last several years.
Old 07-16-10 | 10:05 AM
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Originally Posted by GFerg
Nah, the ZDX is the flagship remember? Lol!
HAHHAA, you got me there!!!

the ultimate zdx to the rescue!
Old 07-16-10 | 10:10 AM
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I do not think Acura brand will be going away anytime soon. They might drop the RL and hopefully bring back the Legend name as a flagship.

If you look at sale numbers, Acura is still ahead of Infiniti and Audi.
Old 07-16-10 | 10:12 AM
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Lol the Zitdx is another platform based car and clear X6 knockoff without the performance utility or panache. Then it is Aztek ugly so it is more flag**** fail.

As I stated get rid of this north American brand and badge them what they are, Honda plus.

"Introducing the Honda plus Sh Awd 6mt type r zitdx a spec"



acuras are priced below Infiniti and Audi and now are outsold by Buick and Cadillac.
Old 07-16-10 | 10:13 AM
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so sad....just when I saw a clean legend coupe this morning

Originally Posted by rominl
HAHHAA, you got me there!!!

the ultimate zdx to the rescue!
Originally Posted by GFerg
Nah, the ZDX is the flagship remember? Lol!
shame on you Rominl........you should've known better that it's the zitdx
Old 07-16-10 | 10:14 AM
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oh holy crap you're right...the ZDX is the flagshi....t
Old 07-16-10 | 10:17 AM
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Trying to sell ZitDX as a premium flagship can only degrade Acura's position in the market.
Old 07-16-10 | 10:28 AM
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Originally Posted by IS-SV
Trying to sell ZitDX as a premium flagship can only degrade Acura's position in the market.
Especially since it is selling at a rate 50% lower than the already low 6,000 first year sales goal.


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