By Jake Lingeman, AutoWeek

Acura unveiled the production version of the 2013 ILX compact sedan at the Chicago auto show on Wednesday, saying the vehicle will be an entry point into Honda's luxury brand.

The five-passenger sedan will offer three engine choices, including Acura's first gasoline-electric hybrid.

The base ILX will be powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that produces 150 hp and 140 lb-ft of torque. The only transmission offered is a five-speed automatic. Fuel economy in that model is rated at 24 mpg in the city and 32 mpg on the highway.

By John LeBlanc for MSN Autos

You don’t have to be a sports fan to know the National Football League’s championship game is this Sunday. As one of the most-watched television events annually, companies looking to make a big marketing splash have coveted the game’s half-time commercial spots for years. And with sales rebounding in the U.S., automakers have jumped on Super Bowl ad bandwagon this year in a big way.

By Mark Rechtin, AutoWeek

Sales have begun to rebound for Acura, American Honda Motor Co.'s luxury brand, and a product renaissance in 2012--complete with a big entry into hybrid powertrains--could provide a further boost.

Acura's two crossovers will be redesigned. And while the RL flagship won't have the rear-drive V8 version--those plans were killed in 2009--it will be significantly re-engineered. Subsequent model years will see other major redesigns and other lineup changes.

Acura also will take a step back from its polarizing "keen edge" design philosophy. An early hint of a more refined look can be seen in the 2012 TL midcycle change. The angular front "beak" was replaced by a more traditional grille.

By Mark Atkinson for MSN Autos

While there is plenty of attention directed to both Boomers and Tweens as huge and growing segments of the population, the so-called Gen-Y remains the largest buying group around. Defined as those born between 1977 and 1994, Gen-Y is just getting into its stride when it comes to its prime spending years.

But just because Y-ers are replacing Boomers as the big spenders doesn't mean that they'll mimic their parents' purchases. Figuring out which brands are thriving and which are struggling will help brands figure out where to direct their marketing efforts.

The New York-based L2 Think Tank asked over 450 Gen-Y consumers from over 45 countries (including Canada) about their preferences for luxury brands back in May of last year. The split was 55 per cent female and 45 per cent male, but both groups agreed on one thing: that BMW was the auto brand most worthy of the prestige tag. A strong statement, but you only have to drive around Canada's major urban centres to see that there are more Bimmer 3-Series on city streets than Honda Civics.

By Mark Atkinson for MSN Autos

With all the chaos still ongoing in Japan, it’s little wonder that their domestic automakers are still trying to get a handle on both local production and vehicles that get shipped overseas. A number of plants have been shut down, either due to quake damage, or from a lack of parts from key suppliers who were also affected during the disaster.

But the biggest fear – whether justified or not – is whether any vehicles or parts being shipped out from Japan will take damaging radiation with them to other markets.

Honda, Nissan and Toyota have all publicly explained that their assembly plants are far enough away from the damaged reactors in Fukushima that risks are slim to nonexistent. However, all three have expressed that should any radiation be detected, the companies will undertake whatever steps are necessary to ensure their products are clean and free of contamination before entering North America.

Also, most of the vehicles from these three manufacturers sold in North America are assembled locally; only a small percentage are imported from Japan – as low as 13 per cent in Honda’s case, but that includes the popular Fit. Perhaps the most notable is Toyota’s Prius, which is only built in Japan.

As the situation develops, all this information will certainly change, but for now, would you consider buying a Japanese car built in Japan? Would you have any qualms about your safety? Let us know your opinion in the comments.

By Mark Atkinson for MSN Autos

Like most, my weekend was spent glued to the television, scouring Facebook and Twitter, keeping up with the horrendous and ever-changing events after an enormous earthquake and subsequent tsunami tore up the north eastern part of Japan. With the death toll already in the thousands - expected to climb rapidly in the coming days - and a brewing nuclear disaster, the country is facing unspeakable disaster with months or years of painful rebuilding ahead.

There are plenty of places to donate money to help, including the Red Cross. Even a small gesture is welcomed.

In honour of those ingenious and inventive people, which Japanese car is your favourite? It certainly doesn't have to be a model sold here. In fact, some of the most creative - and bizarre, frankly - models are sold solely for their home market. Having been a Subaru fan for many years, my choice is the Legacy B4 Blitzen, a twin-turbocharged 280-hp, all-wheel-drive sport sedan created in a partnership with Porsche Design in the early '00s. Most were sold in arrest-me-red, a nice change from the usual Rally Blue that characterizes fast Subarus.

So what's yours? Acura NSX? Nissan Skyline GT-R? Suzuki Cappuccino? 

By Michelle Koueiter, AutoWeek

The 2012 Acura TL sedan debuted at the Chicago auto show on Wednesday with a new six-speed automatic transmission and a lightly refined chassis.

Visually, the front and rear bumpers were tailored to shorten the car's overall length, while the grille was moved further down the fascia to slightly lengthen the hood.

By Mark Rechtin, AutoWeek

The dreams of getting a V8 engine, rear-wheel-drive platforms and a sports car to replace the NSX have died for Acura dealers. Now the question is whether Acura can follow Audi's lead and elevate its brand from premium to luxury with front- and all-wheel-drive platforms.

Meanwhile, Acura may return to two segments that it had abandoned by adding a compact car and a coupe.

Compact car: An Acura compact would be based on the next-generation Honda Civic, which means a spring 2012 launch as a 2013 model at the soonest. Acura left the compact segment at the end of the 2006 model year when it dropped the RSX. Acura doesn't want merely to homologate the Canadian market CSX, which is a badge-engineered Civic.

TSX: A wagon variant comes this fall, based on the European market Honda Accord wagon. The wagon will be available with fwd only and a four-cylinder engine. The sedan version of the TSX offers a V6 option.

By Mark Atkinson, MSN Autos

Although it might be outgunned by less expensive machinery, the Audi R8 packs one wicked punch. Its exotic shape, melodious V8 or V10 engines and quattro all-wheel drive deliver one of the most balanced performance machines of the last decade. And any criticisms levelled at Audi for not racing it were doused in 2009 when the R8 LMS took to the European FIA GT3 series and acquitted itself well, .

For 2010, Audi has now taken the knowledge and experience at the race track and used it to create a better R8.

By Mark Atkinson, MSN Autos

We’re never ones to discourage automakers to build more station wagons. Far from it. Any time another one dies (so long, Subaru Legacy Wagon) another seems to fit closely into its place. In today’s wagon-centric post, we’re looking at another Japanese company, but this time it’s Acura, who has the five-door solution to our stuff-hauling problems.