Acura’s latest announcement that the RSX moniker can be returning on a brand new EV crossover unsurprisingly pissed off a number of individuals who made their emotions identified on-line. Slapping the identify of a once-beloved sport compact onto an electrical SUV was one way or the other blasphemy. I’m right here to inform anybody that’s mad about it to recover from it. It’s actually not that large of a deal.
Look, on the one hand I get. Right here’s Acura but once more bringing again a nameplate from its previous that’s seemingly thus far faraway from the unique mannequin you marvel what they have been pondering. Folks have been mad concerning the Integra when Acura introduced it again as a four-door hatch, despite the fact that it’s nonetheless a Civic-based compact automobile simply as the unique was. Some have been even mad the ZDX made a comeback as an electrical SUV, as the unique was an amazing wanting SUV coupe factor. All of that outrage was annoying.
As complicated because the anger over these identify plates is, being mad concerning the RSX identify coming again makes even much less sense, particularly while you consider the RSX itself. The unique RSX was launched in 2002 as an inexpensive, sporty alternative for the Integra — the automobile was even known as Integra in different markets like Europe and Asia. Regardless that it was solely on sale for 4 mannequin years, it gained a following for its good-looking styling, nice driving dynamics and glorious Okay Sequence engine, which made as much as 210 horsepower within the RSX Kind S. Because the years went on and manufacturing resulted in 2006, the RSX grew to become a darling of the aftermarket world. I nonetheless see quite a lot of working round on the streets of Southern California.
The constructed a following regardless of being solely round 150,000 automobiles being offered over only a handful of years. That’s nice, however it doesn’t imply that Acura shouldn’t deliver again the identify for a unique kind of automobile. Final time I checked, the RSX wasn’t some legendary, long-running nameplate that couldn’t be touched. Individuals are letting their fond recollections of low cost sport compacts with high-revving engines and guide transmissions cloud their pondering.
Whereas some could be mad that Acura isn’t bringing again the RSX as a two-door non-crossover coupe, let’s be sincere with ourselves. Acura was by no means going to deliver again the RSX we knew it to be, electrical or not. Certain, possibly Acura might have made one thing primarily based on the upcoming hybrid Honda Prelude to go in opposition to the Toyobaru twins, however apart from these outliers, the game coupe market the RSX performed in mainly doesn’t exist anymore. It’s why the RSX was discontinued within the first place, as the marketplace for these sorts of automobiles was shrinking even then.
This isn’t Acura doing one thing wild and ridiculous. It will be comprehensible if this have been, say, the NSX coming again as an electrical crossover, however it’s not. The RSX identify by no means had sufficient model fairness for the outrage that Acura has been getting. When it first got here out, folks have been irritated it wasn’t simply known as the Integra! Apart from, if this factor has the proper efficiency, vary and worth, it could possibly be a success. I’m prepared to provide it an opportunity and so do you have to. Let’s simply not get caught up in being offended about Acura utilizing a mannequin identify from 20 years in the past that solely existed for 4 years.
