The year 2025 isn’t shaping up to be a great one for sedans, and the trend is especially clear when looking at Acura’s lineup. Honda’s luxury division has trimmed back its offerings, leaving the Integra, technically a five-door hatchback, as the only traditional car in a lineup otherwise dominated by SUVs and crossovers.
In the US, the situation is only slightly better, with two sedans and one hatchback competing against seven SUVs, minivans, and pickups. Despite the SUV craze, Honda hasn’t abandoned its passion for sporty cars.
Katsushi Inoue, Honda’s senior managing director, revealed that company president Toshihiro Mibe, shortly after taking the role four years ago, personally ordered the development of a new Honda Prelude: “SUVs are popular everywhere, in the U.S., China, Japan, India, but to stand out, we need to create sporty body styles. SUVs aren’t everything”.
This news gives enthusiasts hope, especially since iconic names have been reimagined as EV crossovers, such as the new RSX, which borrows the badge of the beloved sport coupe for a battery-powered crossover. According to Lance Woelfer, vice president of auto sales at American Honda, the RSX is not meant to replicate the original but to carry the Acura brand forward: “It’s a different vehicle, but the name really represents the new direction”. The model is expected by late next year, and it will certainly remain an electric SUV rather than reverting to a two-door coupe.
Electrification is the inevitable goal. Honda continues to see electrification as its long-term priority, though executives admit the timeline has been slowed compared to earlier projections. The Series 0 lineup and the RSX are still on track, but other projects, such as the potential electric successor to the NSX, may face delays or revisions. Still, Inoue left enthusiasts with a clear promise: “We know we must have an iconic model like the NSX in our future”.
