Top 10 Cars of the Detroit Auto Show

7. Acura ILX

Well over a decade ago Honda began selling the Acura EL in Canada. Essentially a glorified Civic it was a huge success, but not the sort of thing American consumers would buy in to. 15 years later and the U.S. auto market has changed, with a perceived acceptance of compact luxury cars. Now Acura is ready to follow a similar path in America with the ILX.

While technically based on the new Honda Civic platform, it’s certainly not a Civic from any angle, nor does it even share the same dimensions being both longer and wider. It doesn’t even look like a front-drive car either, thanks to design cues like large rear fenders.

Honda will offer a choice of three different engines with the ILX including a base 2.0-liter, a more powerful 2.4-liter and a 1.5-liter hybrid – making the ILX Acura’s first ever hybrid.

Making the ILX even more significant will be its sales, with Acura expecting major volume thanks to a starting price well below $30,000.