Acura

RSX receives a minor update. However, in the 2000 US Census, many Pacific Islanders did not consider themselves the same race as Asians, and classified themselves separately. New 2nd-generation RL introduced. Thus, occasionally the term "Asians and Pacific Islanders" or "Asia/Pacific" may be used. Minor update to 1st-generation MDX. Sometimes, Pacific Islanders, such as Native Hawaiians or Samoans, who do not technically belong to the continent of Asia, may be classified or "clumped together" with the Asians as a group, often in censuses, surveys or studies. New TSX sports sedan introduced. When "Asian" is used as a shorthand for "East Asian" or "South Asian", Russians of course are usually not included.

New 3rd-generation TL introduced. See also Transcontinental nation. NSX is updated. The word Eurasian is also often used to describe Russia's position in the world. New 4th-generation Integra introduced as the RSX. Depending on context, Russian people may be considered European, Asian, or mixed according to their individual ethnic nationality, ancestry, or appearance; or may be considered European or Asian based on their current or recent place of residence; or may be considered European or Asian just as citizens of a state extending into Europe or Asia. (Canada only). Most of Russia's huge territory is in Asia, though the majority of its population is in Europe and ethnically "East European".

New 2nd generation EL model. The term "West Asia" is popular with some who argue the term Middle East is a Eurocentric moniker denoting the in-between regions of Europe and East Asia. New MDX luxury SUV introduced. Note that while Middle Easterners rarely evoke the term "Asian" in most modern societies, the name Asia apparently derives from ancient Assyrian, and definitely originally meant the area now called "West Asia," from the Sinai Peninsula to Persia, and Asia Minor to Arabia. New 2nd-generation CL coupe introduced. The term "West Asian" is now sometimes used to refer to people from Middle Eastern nations. No CL model for 2000. Despite the fact that these people are technically 'Asians' by geographical location on the map, they have generally have not been labelled as such in Western society.

New 2nd-generation TL introduced. Census. Integra receives a minor update. There can be no doubt that Turkish, Semites (Arabs, Syrians, Bedouins, Israelis, etc.) Uzbekistanis, and the indigenous peoples of Siberia, and so on, are all "Asians" in the continental sense, but they are not considered a part of the races of people named "Asian" for the purpose of the U.S. (Canada only) New 2-door coupe TL introduced as CL. Census's definition of "Asian" is frequently criticised because it exploits a Sinocentric (China-centred) view of Asia by ignoring the peoples of West, Central, and North Asia. New EL (based on Civic sedan) is introduced. The U.S.

(Not sold in Canada) New 3rd-generation Legend introduced as the RL. However, respondents are allowed to indicate more precise racial groupings, such as Asian Indian, Chinese, Filipino, Korean, Japanese, Vietnamese, Burmese, Pakistani, Laotian, Thai, Bhutanese, and so on, including "Other Asian.". New SLX SUV model introduced. Census, the term Asian means people whose ancestors came from East Asia, Southeast Asia, or South Asia. New 2nd-generation Vigor introduced as TL. For purposes of the U.S. New 3rd-generation Integra introduced. In recent years, South Asians, often erroneously labeled as all 'Indian', now more often see themselves as a distinct part of Asian America.

Minor update to 2nd-generation Integra. These relatively formal clarifications are used only when it is necessary to make a distinction between the groups. New NSX model introduced. To avoid the confusion that sometimes occurs, the term "East Asian" is used to distinguish people from Southeast Asia, China, Japan, and Korea and "South Asian" (Desi) for those from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. New 2nd-generation Legend introduced. This is partially due to the perception amongst some in academia that the term "Orientalism" reflects a long outdated Eurocentric world view, in which Europe is occidental (western), and Asia is oriental (eastern) - with West Asia being the "Near East" (or "Middle East") and East and South Asia being the "Far East," the concepts of "near" and "far" being measured from Europe. New Vigor model added to Acura's line-up. "Asian" is often considered a more polite (or, some would say, more politically correct) alternative to "Oriental".

New 2nd-generation Integra introduced. In the United States and Canada, since approximately 1990, "Asian" in colloquial speech has been used to refer to people from China, Japan, Korea and other East Asian countries. The Acura brand is introduced to North America by Honda. Many Chinese South Africans dislike the label 'Asian', which they associate with being Indian or South Asian.
. The British usage of Asian is now making headway into Canadian English. . The term Desi, which in the UK and Africa is synonymous with "Asian," is sometimes used to name a South Asian person in a manner that avoids any allusion to the specific state of origin.

And while the slow-selling NSX has been discontinued for the 2006 model year, Acura has promised a redesigned model sometime in 2007 or 2008. Some Britons carelessly use "India" to refer to the whole of South Asia, while others make a clear distinction between the various countries that form the region. It should debut in mid-2006 as a 2007 model. This is reflected in the "ethnic group" section of UK census forms and other government paperwork, which treat "Asian" and "Chinese" as separate (see British Asian). In the future, Acura will introduce the RDX, a smaller SUV set to feature the RL's SH-AWD (Super Handling All Wheel Drive). Those of East Asian origin such as the Chinese or Japanese are usually not included in the term. The company has now re-established itself with a consistent performance-oriented image, while also maintaining its reputation for outstanding customer service and reliability. In the United Kingdom and Anglophone Africa, the term "Asian", though it can be used to refer to the continent of Asia as a whole, is more usually associated specifically with people and cultures whose origin lies in South Asia: that is, modern-day India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

Acura's new models—particularly the RL and TSX—have been well received by the motoring press. People have different conceptions of who an Asian is and thus the term is not a very precise or accurate one, except in the case of "South Asian" where the partition of British India made "Indian" a politically incorrect reference to Pakistani and Bangladeshi people. A new RL debuted in 2005, this time with a 300-hp V6, more exciting styling, and innovative Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD), a system capable of sending almost all of the RL's power to just one wheel in a turn. Because single categorization of "Asians" somewhat implies a form of homogeneity which does not exist, the term is rarely used to denote people from Asia in general (such as Israelis) and is more often used to refer to people from a specific region, namely South Asia and/or East Asia. This model became the only 4-cylinder sedan in Acura's line-up, replacing the Integra sedan. The term is only valid in the context of European historical convention: no "Asian" region had the word "Asian" in their language before adapting European convention. The same year, Acura introduced the TSX, a European-market Honda Accord loaded with features, as a cheaper alternative to the BMW 3-series. However, this definition, in turn, makes the word "Asia" redundant because people such as Arabs, Persians, South Asians (historically known as Indian), and Orientals (East Asian) are also culturally, politically and historically distinct.

A new TL debuted in 2004, equipped with sharp, Italianate styling and a 270-hp V6, and available with a 6-speed manual transmission led to a dramatic increase in sales for Acura. In geography, Europe is a region distinguished by cultural, political and historical distinction. Other cars in Acura's line-up during this time included the 3.2 TL, 3.2 CL, RSX (formerly the Integra), and the supercar, the NSX. If it is defined in terms of tectonic plates, India and Arabia become separate continents from Eurasia. It was given top honors by Car and Driver in its first comparison test against seven other SUVs. If the continent is defined in terms of simple landmass, then Europe refers to the peninsula in western Eurasia. The MDX was a car-like and fun-to-drive crossover SUV with little off-road capability that catered smartly to the demands of the luxury SUV market. This view is no longer recognized in geology.

The MDX replaced the slow-selling SLX, which was little more than a rebadged Isuzu Trooper. The term originates from the European idea that Europe is a separate continent from the Asian "continent". In the early 2000s, Acura refreshed its line-up, arguably beginning with the introduction of the MDX, a popular three-row crossover SUV based on the Honda Odyssey minivan. . This reputation has continued to this day, especially with the new RSX and TSX (see below.). In common English parlance, however, the term Asian is often used to indicate people from, and places in, only one part of Asia -- typically East Asia (China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Vietnam), Southeast Asia (Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, Myanmar, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines) or South Asia (Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, The Maldives). Parent company Honda's reputation as a maker of easy to tune and rev-happy engines with this demographic rubbed off onto Acura, and the Integra became a popular tuner car. Geographically and technically, both Asian and Asiatic indicates a person, place, thing, or idea original to Asia.

Despite these letdowns, Acura did gain prominence in the 1990's with a younger group of people, the import tuner set. Even the swoopy NSX lost sales as Acura barely changed the car from its original 1989 trim. Its sluggish 210-horsepower V6 (later bumped to 225 hp) and front-wheel drive, together with anonymous styling that cautiously aped the larger, more powerful and more engaging Lexus LS400, did little against more prestigious, attractive and faster offerings from BMW, Audi, and Lexus, among others. The 1996 3.5RL, which replaced the well-loved Legend, was seen by many as the epitome of Acura's new-found blandness.

During this time, Acura switched to an alphanumeric formula for nomenclature. Unfortunately, after this strong start, the mid- to late 1990s, Acura's model line-up became less and less inspiring and consequently, sales suffered. The car's meticulously engineered quality and sterling reliability were icing on the cake. The NSX, an acronym for "New Sports eXperimental", was hailed as the first (and perhaps, to date, the only) Japanese car capable of taking on Ferrari and Porsche.

In 1989, Acura introduced the NSX, a swoopy 276-hp two-door sports car. Automotive journalists were impressed particularly by the Acura Legend. Other Japanese luxury brands (Toyota's Lexus and Nissan's Infiniti) sprang up in North America shortly after Acura's introduction of the Legend, a V6-powered coupe and sedan, and the Integra, which was offered with a 4-cylinder engine only. Before Acura, automobiles from Japan were primarily economical and were seen as reliable above all else.

Acura is credited with creating or being the first to tap into a market for luxury Japanese cars outside Japan. The brand will be expanded to the Chinese market in 2006 and the Japanese domestic market in 2008. Acura is a Japanese brand name used by Honda in the US, Canada, Mexico, and Hong Kong since March 1986 to market luxury automobiles and near-luxury vehicles. RSX.

RL (new 2nd-generation). NSX. MDX. TSX.

TL. EL (Canada only). Models sold: