Honda is one of the most popular automakers in the world and has a long list of vehicles customers love and trust. However, Honda makes cars for everyone. Most Hondas are relatively affordable, such as the Civic or the CR-V. The good news is that Honda has a luxury brand that sells cars for those looking for a little more luxury: Acura.

Acura was the first Japanese luxury car brand ever

According to Consumer Reports, Acura is owned by Honda, and the two brands have a long history with one another. Honda created Acura in 1986, and Acura was the first Japanese luxury car brand. Lexus and Infiniti followed Acura not long after.

There were a variety of reasons Honda created Acura. The big reason was because of taxes that America imposed on imports. Due to these taxes, it was more profitable for Japanese companies like Honda to sell higher-priced cars in America. 

That said, Honda sought to build Acura in America, allowing Acura to avoid those import taxes. By doing this, Honda could compete with American and German luxury brands, which were popular then. With cars like the Legend, Acura did that successfully, and Americans have been buying Acuras ever since. 

A short history of the the company Acura is owned by: Honda Motor Company

Like the history of Acura, Honda’s history is closely tied to the American car market. Honda was founded in 1946, just one year after World War II ended. In those early years, Honda didn’t make cars, and the Japanese company was instead focused on motorcycles. Honda’s bikes became the company’s bread and butter, and in the 60s, Honda began developing and building cars.

The first Honda car to hit the American market was the N600, and it was a small car that was inspired by the popularity of the Volkswagen Beetle in America. Honda’s popularity only grew when it introduced the Civic in 1972. Since then, Honda has sold tens of millions of Civics, which remains a popular option for American car buyers.

The Civic was originally an import, but like Acura, Honda eventually realized that it would make more money by having factories in the U.S. This also allowed Honda to better cater to the American market. For example, the Ridgeline is Honda’s only production truck right now and is sold in the U.S. and Canada.

Honda and Acura have a lot of highly-anticipated cars coming soon

Acura and Honda have quite a few cars on their upcoming slate, but the vehicles fans are usually excited about are the high-performance ones. The Acura NSX, for example, is a high-performance sports car that will be out of production soon. However, many fans are speculating and cautiously getting excited about the next generation NSX, should it ever arrive. 

However, a more concrete upcoming car is the EVs Honda and Acura plan to roll out soon. As its name may imply, the Honda Prologue will help lead Honda and Acura toward the EV future. The Prologue is an electric SUV, so many American Honda fans are excited about it. The Prologue is expected to arrive in 2024.

Acura has made similar moves, too. Like the Prologue, Acura will be debuting an electric SUV in 2024, though currently, it doesn’t have a name. This will be Acura’s first EV, so Acura and EV fans eagerly watch for more news about this car.