2016 Acura ILX: First Look

Competes with: Audi A3, Buick Verano

Looks like: The ILX gets the TLX treatment and now wears a version of the larger sedan’s grille and headlights

Drivetrain: 201-horsepower, 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine and eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission

Hits dealerships: Early 2015

Amid slow sales, Acura is hoping to reinvigorate its compact sedan with some updates for 2016. The ILX gets a lightly revised exterior, a new engine, minor interior cabin updates and more available technology and safety features this year.

Related: 2014 Los Angeles Auto Show

The 2016 ILX will be available in six trims instead of last year’s three. The ILX is again available in standard ILX, ILX with Premium Package and ILX Technology Plus Package trim and is joined by the sporty new A-SPEC Package for 2016, which is also available with the Premium and Technology packages.

Exterior

Acura is keeping the ILX’s exterior update in the family with a face that could be lifted straight off of the TLX. The 2016 ILX wears the larger sedan’s linear “Jewel Eye” LED headlights as well as a slightly pumped up grille. The new A-SPEC Package adds a sportier look with side-sill garnish; a trunk spoiler; front fog lights; and new 18-inch, 10-spoke machined alloy wheels with gloss black insets.

Acura says updates to the sedan’s body structure should help it more efficiently absorb and disperse energy in a frontal collision. The automaker hopes to earn a good rating in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s tough small front overlap crash test; IIHS did not perform the small front overlap test on the previous model.

Interior

Acura says the cabin is quieter thanks to additional noise-insulating materials, thicker front-side door glass and noise-tempering wheels. Other interior updates include new silver trim on the passenger-side instrument panel and contrast stitching on the steering wheel and shift knob. The A-SPEC Package adds a Premium Black interior color palette with black Lux Suede seats, red instrument illumination, gray interior stitching and aluminum brake and throttle pedals.

On the new ILX, the touch-screen multimedia system gets more than 50 design and functionality changes, according to the automaker. Other technology highlights include a new navigation system powered by the user’s iPhone and data plan via the AcuraLink navigation app; Siri Eyes Free compatibility, which allows the driver to control certain functions using voice commands when paired with a compatible iPhone; an ELS premium audio system; and the latest generation of the AcuraLink cloud-based connected-car system.

Under the Hood

The ILX has a pared down powertrain lineup for 2016. Acura’s 201-hp, 2.4-liter direct-injected four-cylinder is the sole engine this year; it’s paired with an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission with torque converter. The eight-speed replaces five-speed automatic and six-speed manual units for 2016. The short-lived hybrid model was discontinued after model-year 2014.

Safety

Available across the lineup is the AcuraWatch safety system, which includes adaptive cruise control, a lane keeping assist system, a multiview rearview camera with guidelines, road departure mitigation and an enhanced Collision Mitigation Braking System with pedestrian sensing capability. Premium and above models also get Acura’s blind spot and rear cross-traffic systems.

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