Honda to build new Acura ILX sedan in Indiana

Honda said today it will build the Acura ILX, a new, entry-level luxury sedan, in Greensburg, Ind., starting in the spring.

The Acura ILX sedan will debut as a concept at the 2012 Detroit auto show next month, Honda said earlier Monday. It will replace the TSX and be marketed as the gateway to Acura's U.S. lineup.

The ILX will be offered with gasoline and gasoline-electric hybrid powertrain options -- making it the first Acura hybrid vehicle and first hybrid to be made in America at a Honda Motor plant.

The ILX will join the Acura RL and TL sedans, ZDX crossover vehicle, and the MDX and RDX SUVs in the company's U.S. lineup.

The $550 million Greensburg plant opened in 2008. Honda recently hired nearly 1,000 workers to support a second production shift for the Honda Civic compact sedan and double annual output to 200,000 vehicles.

The plant added output of the natural gas-powered Civic GX sedan in May 2009 and began building Civic sedans for export outside North America in September 2009.

Through November of this year, Acura sales were down 7 percent in the U.S. to 110,170.

By David Phillips- Automotive News