2016 Acura ILX Reviews: Acura's First Gasoline-Electric Hybrid Car Release Date, Specs, Review, Price

Jul 29, 2015 01:43 PM EDT

The 2016 Acura ILX has been out for a while this year, and this sedan has received some good reviews.  As the company's first gasoline-electric hybrid vehicle, there are some alterations done to this year's model, but the more things change, the more things stay the same.  This is a report on the 2016 Acura ILX release date, specs, price, and review. 

According to 2016 Hybrid Cars, the 2016 Acura ILX is an "affordable, luxury compact sedan which offers the car's first facelift since it was introduced to the markets three years ago".  This reworked model is now "tightly specialized and throws away surplus of powertrain choices its predecessor used to offer". 

There were some redesigns to the 2016 Acura ILX which include the reworked front fascia.  There is also a frontal chrome garnish that has been lowered and now positioned in the middle of the grill.  The bumper has also been altered to there is an open lower air intake at the bottom.  The headlights are also changed and consist of five circular LED units.  The profile is essentially the same, apart from the new set of wheels. 

As for what is under the hood, it is a 2.4L 4-cylinder capable of putting up 201 horsepower and 180 pound-feet of torque.  There will be no manual transmission as there is an 8-speed dual clutch gearbox to bring the power to the front wheels.  As for the fuel economy, the driver is looking at about 23 miles per gallon in the city and 32 miles per gallon on the highway. 

For the interior, the dash is the same, save for the reshaping of the instrument panel.  It has a dual-screen infotainment system which is an 8-inch display unit as well as a 5-inch option mounted below for within a hand's reach. 

As far as room goes, you can fit in four passengers in the 2016 Acura ILX, and it has a roomy 12.3 cubic foot trunk.  It should be known that the rear seats do not split and fold, so there is not too much room here. 

Of course, the 2016 Acura ILX comes with Bluetooth connectivity with USB and iPod integration as well as a multi-view rear camera, lane watch system, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitors, rear-cross traffic alerts, lane keeping assist, road departure mitigation, and enhanced collision mitigation braking with pedestrian sensing. 

In fact, the review of the 2016 Acura ILX from CNET states that the ELS audio system in the 2016 Acura ILX provides "clear and robust sound".  It also received high marks with its driver's assistance features.  As for the bad, the 2016 Acura ILX has "the infotainment interface is a confusing mess of duplicate controls in differing formats" and "engine noise in the cabin detracts from ride comfort".

As far as the price range is concerned, Motor Trend is quoted in giving an estimate of $27,900-$34,980.  Normally, when I write about car reviews, it usually isn't about cars that have been released yet.  However, this 2016 Acura ILX was unveiled back in 2014, which is unusual as it is a 2016 car.  It went on sale as of February 2015, which is unusual as 2016 cars don't usually get revealed until the end of the year and not the beginning.