1996 Acura SLX Review

Acura's new SLX sport/utility vehicle, which has entered the rapidly expanding luxury ``sport/ute'' market, is a bit of a fraud.

The $33,900, four-door SLX, which I recently tested, is from Honda's luxury car division. But its cleanly chiseled shape quickly gives it away as being just a modified version of the big, popular, rugged Isuzu Trooper sport/utility. The SLX has items such as a different grille, uptown interior and softened suspension.

The SLX is aimed at a genteel crowd. The Trooper is targeted at more rough-and-ready folks.

Confused? There's a lot more ``rebadging'' being done with light trucks. For instance, the fairly new Honda Passport sport/utility is nearly identical to the Isuzu Rodeo, made in Indiana. And the new Isuzu Oasis minivan is a rebadged version of Honda's Odyssey.

Moreover, the new LX 450 luxury sport/ute from Toyota's upscale Lexus auto division is an upgraded version of the Toyota Land Cruiser--just as the new, posh Mercury Mountaineer sport/ute is a clone of the Ford Explorer.

More than sport/utes and minivans are involved. For instance, Isuzu's new Hombre pickup truck is a made-in-America version of Chevy's S-Series pickup.

There's a good reason for all this: automakers and car divisions caught flat-footed without appropriate light trucks simply are taking existing ones, modifying them slightly and putting new names on them.

That way, hundreds of millions of dollars are saved in new-vehicle development costs, and automakers have the appropriate light truck sitting in showrooms to offer the growing number of light truck buyers.

So far, sales figures show that consumers either are unaware of what is happening--or just don't care.

``We're virtually in a sold-out position with the SLX, and are waiting for new ones to fill the pipeline,'' said Acura spokesman Andy Boyd.

Acura became worried upon finding that many people coming off a luxury car lease plan to get an upscale sport/utility--and it had no such vehicle.

``It's a win-win situation with the SLX because Isuzu gets to sell more trucks and Acura gets a sport/ute,'' said Isuzu spokesman Bryon Farnsworth.

Acura is working with Isuzu product planners and engineers to refine the Trooper. The revamped version arrives in 1998, Acura sources said.

Some Isuzu dealers may take a dim view of the current agreement with Acura, which calls for it to get 5,000 SLXs a year, because many of those may have been offered with the Trooper name to Isuzu dealers.

``But, look, it's unlikely that a great many people accustomed to Honda showrooms will visit Isuzu showrooms, and vice versa, because Honda and Isuzu have different images,'' Farnsworth said. ``Meanwhile, Isuzu dealers get the chance to market a minivan, with the Honda-built Oasis. If our dealers lacked a minivan, some potential customers would just walk out.''

The deal involving the Honda Passport has worked well, Farnsworth said.

``Honda wants a larger supply of Passports, but Isuzu just doesn't have the manufacturing capacity to supply them,'' he said. ``I'd guess that some buyers don't even know--or care--that the Passport is an Isuzu Rodeo.''

Acura feels the same way. ``We take the top-line [$30,000-plus] Trooper and give it such things as a new grille and wheels,'' Boyd said. ``The SLX has many standard items, including air conditioning, a premium audio system and power windows, locks and mirrors. But we offer a [$4,100] premium package with a leather-and-wood interior, heated front seats and power sunroof.''

About 70 percent of SLX models are expected to have the package. But all SLX buyers will be pampered by Acura's Total Luxury Care package, which provides things such as roadside assistance and trip planning.

The SLX, which has dual air bags and anti-lock brakes, benefits from improvements to the 1996 Trooper. The biggest one is a long-awaited four-wheel-drive system that allows changing in and out of four-wheel drive mode at highway speeds.

The SLX is above-average because the Trooper is a top sport/ute. Its box y shape helps provide plenty of passenger and cargo room. And a strong overhead-camshaft, 3.2-liter, 190-horsepower V-6 works with a crisp-shifting four-speed automatic transmission to provide strong performance (0 to 60 m.p.h. in 10.9 seconds) for a tall vehicle that weighs a hefty 4,315 pounds--or 4,640 pounds with the premium package.

With all that weight and a rather small, hard-working engine, the SLX delivers only an EPA-estimated 14 m.p.g. in the city and 18 on highways.

Handling is good. While the softened suspension provides a nice ride, it bottoms easily during off-road driving. However, most buyers aren't expected to venture much off roads. After all, the SLX is more luxury/ute than sport/ute.