Honda Manufacturing of Indiana, LLC (HMIN) announced on Dec. 13 that it will be the exclusive manufacturer of the Acura ILX, an all-new luxury sedan going into mass production in Indiana in the spring of 2012.
The new Acura ILX sedan will be offered with both gasoline and gas-electric hybrid powertrain options. It will be Acura's first-ever hybrid model, as well as the first Acura model to be produced in Indiana. Gasoline engines for the new Acura ILX will be produced at the Anna, Ohio, engine plant of Honda of America Mfg., Inc.
"Building this all-new Acura vehicle as the exclusive global source is a big responsibility for our associates," said HMIN President Jun Nishimoto.
The Acura ILX will join the TL sedan, ZDX crossover vehicle, and the MDX and RDX sport-utility vehicles as the fifth Acura model produced exclusively in North America. HMIN, located in Greensburg, Ind., began operations with production of Civic Sedans in October 2008 and added production of the natural gas-powered Civic Sedan in May 2009. The plant, which started operations as a zero-waste-to-landfill factory, employs 2,000.
HMIN, recognized earlier this year for its outstanding quality as one of only three automobile plants globally to earn a Platinum Award from J.D. Power and Associates, recently added nearly 1,000 associates to support the move to two-shift production, doubling the plant's capacity to 200,000 vehicles per year.
