A legacy of Innovation
Acura Cars & SUVs Innovation & History
A Commitment to Our Craft
We arrived in Canada over 30 years ago with a commitment to always be ahead, with customer-relevant technologies and products that add to Canadians’ quality of life. Ever since, we’ve been breaking rules and precision-crafting vehicles with a conviction others would probably call crazy. We just call it keeping our promise.
A History in the Making
We have a proud heritage of embracing the future with optimism, bringing feeling to innovation and adding value to people’s lives.
1987
1987 – Making A Move
Acura becomes the first Japanese luxury nameplate to launch in Canada with the introductions of the Integra and the Legend. Legend models would later be voted AJAC’s “Best New Import Sedan” and “Best New Sports Coupe” later that year. The bold strides taken in this new category in the country would become the footsteps others would soon follow.
1990
1989 – Game Changer
In only our 3rd year, we shocked the supercar industry with the introduction of the NSX. A daily driver that could compete on the track. It had windows you could actually see out of, a trunk you could really put things in, and it wasn’t going to pay for your mechanic’s summer house. AJAC voted it “Best New Sport/Performance Car” and Motor Trend went a step further calling it “the best sports car ever built.” Not bad for a 3-year-old.
2000
2000 – Family Time
We welcomed the new millennium with an entirely new class of vehicle. The MDX was the first crossover SUV with standard three-row seating, and essentially introduced and defined the three-row crossover class simultaneously. It would go on to be voted AJAC’s “Best New Luxury SUV” later that year, and to this day its legacy among three-row SUVs is undeniable.
2013
2013 – Home of the Supercar
When we created the the Performance Manufacturing Center (PMC) in Marysville Ohio, we set out to build the best production facility in the world – a place to experiment and craft new technologies and processes. PMC made next-gen NSX precision craftsmanship possible. Let’s see what they dream up there next.
2037
2037 – To Be Continued
When you’re born from tireless what-if-ers and creative mavericks, taking risks will always be in your DNA. So we’ll continue to set new standards with precision manufacturing, bold innovation and big dreams – because no matter how improbable they seem today they don’t have to be tomorrow.
1987 – Making A Move
Acura becomes the first Japanese luxury nameplate to launch in Canada with the introductions of the Integra and the Legend. Legend models would later be voted AJAC’s “Best New Import Sedan” and “Best New Sports Coupe” later that year. The bold strides taken in this new category in the country would become the footsteps others would soon follow.
World’s Firsts
You start out thinking you can change the world. In our three plus decades, we’ve done just that – jumping into uncharted territory and landing on significant contributions that have become industry norms across the automotive world.
In-Dash
Navigation
We delivered the world’s first in-dash navigation on a production car. Then we kept pushing, also introducing real-time traffic and later, in-dash weather. After debuting on the 1997 RL, in-dash nav has become standard in every model.
Brand-Wide Multi-Valve Engines
Chances are high the car you drive today has a four-valve-per-cylinder engine. Chances are even higher it got it from us. The multi-valve technology on the 1986 Integra and Legend set the bar for nearly every engine that followed, across the entire industry. We were also the first manufacturer to incorporate multi-valve engines across our lineup.
Three-Row
Crossover
MDX was the first seven-passenger crossover vehicle, luxury or otherwise, that included a fold-flat 3rd row in a compact body. We launched that model in 2000, once again proving our dedication to innovation and design.
SH-AWD® Torque Vectoring
The automotive industry had to familiarize itself with the obscure racing term ‘torque vectoring’ to accurately describe what Super Handling All-Wheel drive did. It wasn’t their fault, it just hadn’t been put into everyday vehicles before. This word first appeared on the 2004 RL, and has since become an Acura signature throughout the entire model line. Four generations later, it’s still going strong.
5-Star Safety Rating for Luxury Brand Across Entire Model Line
We are proud to be the first luxury brand awarded top safety ratings across its entire model line. We go above and beyond government standards, putting our focus on the people who drive our cars, and the passengers they take with them.