TheMercuryNews.com's view

Find a niche and fill it. That was Acura’s strategy from its beginning in the 1980s.

The first luxury nameplate from Japan is at it again with its new 1997 2.2CL. It’s the first American-built car from a Japanese luxury maker.

A stylish coupe, the 2.2CL is designed as a value leader in the luxury or ”near luxury” segment — a tasteful two-door with a lot of standard features for a value-packed price.

Look at the competition. A BMW 318is coupe starts at $27,700. The Lexus SC300 starts at $44,300. What’s the starting price of the 2.2CL? $22,110.

That includes all the usual power amenities such as windows and mirrors, plus standard compact disc player, moon roof and keyless remote entry.

The CD player and remote entry are options on the BMW, which, like the 2.2CL, is powered by a four-cylinder engine. The Lexus has a more powerful six-cylinder power plant and includes remote keyless entry as a standard feature. But a moon roof and CD player are options.

”We think there really is a niche, a void,” in the entry luxury field, said Acura spokesman Mike Spencer.

Buyers so far are proving Acura right.

Introduced in March as an early 1997 model, the 2.2CL is selling out at showrooms. Spencer said there has been less than a six-day supply of the car. In the auto industry, a 50- or 60- day supply is the norm. ”Styling has been a strong point,” Spencer said.

That doesn’t mean the 2.2CL is flashy. Overall, it’s quite formal. But its back end is distinctive, with slanted tail lamps that some liken to alien’s eyes.

And it might take awhile, but you’ll eventually notice that something is missing from the trunk lid. It’s clean, sloping metal that doesn’t have a keyhole. The only way to open the trunk is from a lever inside or — ta da — the standard keyless remote.

I wouldn’t call the front-wheel drive 2.2CL a barn burner. It has the same 2.2-liter, single-overhead-cam, four-cylinder engine with variable valve timing and lift electronic control that’s in the Honda Accord. Honda is the parent company of Acura.

Still, this engine’s 145 horses are a bit more than the 138 of the rear-drive BMW 318is coupe. Torque is better, too, resulting in a 0-to-60-mph run in 9 seconds compared with 9.9 seconds in the BMW.

But it’s much less than the 225 horses and 210 pounds-feet of torque in the Lexus SC300, which ramps up to 60 mph in 7.5 seconds.

The Lexus and BMW, however, use premium unleaded; the 2.2CL uses regular. And it gets better gas mileage than either of the competitors. A five-speed manual transmission is standard.

Some might call the 2.2CL a dressed-up Accord coupe because it shares the Accord’s powertrain and four-wheel, independent, double-wishbone suspension. But the suspension is modified for the 2.2CL, providing capable handling. Body rigidity is palpable, anti-lock brakes are standard, and tires are upgraded from the Accord.

Inside, the dashboard has th e usual clean Honda layout, updated with simulated wood trim that’s also on the front doors. It’s pleasing, save for the cheap-looking, little plastic door that hides the clock adjustment buttons. The plastic cover over the cup holders looks inexpensive, too.

The back seat of the 2.2CL has a good amount of legroom when the front seats are up on their tracks a ways. Back seat headrests are not adjustable, but there’s a center armrest that also has a pass-through from the trunk for long items.

The trunk, by the way, is bigger than the ones in the BMW and Lexus.

Acura says so far, women are the majority of CL buyers. That’s expected to change to a 50-50 male/female split in later sales and with the fall debut of the V-6-powered 3.0CL.

What we drove: 1997 Acura 2.2CL, a two-door subcompact coupe with 2.2-liter, four-cylinder engine with VTEC and five-speed manual transmission.

Base price: $22,110

Price as tested (includes options and delivery charge) $23,595

Curb weight: 3,009 pounds

Length: 190.2 inches

Trunk volume: 11.98 cubic feet

Standard features: Power windows; power mirrors; six-way power driver seat; power door locks; anti-lock brakes; leather-wrapped, tilt steering wheel; cruise control; AM/FM stereo with six speakers and compact disc player; moonroof; keyless remote entry; two front air bags; automatic climate control.

Options on test vehicle: Premium package (with leather seats) included in base price of $23,160

EPA figures: 25 mpg (city), 31 mpg (highway)

Fuel: Unleaded regular