Sedan gets major refresh

The ILX, Acura’s sedan in the all-important entrylevel compact luxury segment, gets a major refresh for 2016.

Gone is that anemic little 2.0-litre four that boasted a paltry — especially in a luxury brand — 150 horsepower.

Instead, the only engine that will be available will be the 201-hp 2.4-L i-VTEC four that used to power the top-of-the-line Dynamic model.

The powertrain has been upgraded with a unique paddle- shifted, eightspeed dual-clutch transmission that also boasts a torque converter.

Acura claims adding the torque converter, unique to the marque, offers a smoother, peppier launch. No doubt having eight speeds will also perk up the performance.

The same basic powertrain serves as the base engine/ t ransmission combination in the newly released TLX, so the ILX should be plenty peppy.

The ILX further separates itself from its Civic platform-mate with aggressive front and rear fascias, Jewel Eye LED headlights and some much needed upgrades to the interior’s fit and finish.

All ILXs will now come standard with the AcuraWatch driver-assist technologies that include adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, roaddeparture mitigation and an enhanced collision-mitigation braking system.

Also available is Honda’s new tethered navigation system that works with the owner’s iPhone and data plan via the AcuraLink navigation app.