Segmentation Part 2 - Acura needs a true flagship

Our first installment in this series introducing luxury branding and segmentation, presented the A8 flagship as a key component in Audi's turnaround, as well as a critical piece of the segmentation puzzle. I'd like to look at the Acura brand through the lens of segmentation to reveal the not-so-hidden fundamentals that provide a constructive answer to the question "why isn't Acura - with all its technical and engineering quality - more recognized as a luxury brand?" I'm not even going to entertain discussion of "near luxury" as a segment (does Honda really need an entirely new brand to compete with a Chrysler 300 or a Buick or a Nissan Maxima? I don't think so either).

Hyundai diesel is coming

This is big news, and I am plenty excited.

For too long, Volkswagen has been allowed to play, virtually alone in the North American market, as pretty much the only diesel offering in a car under $25,000. With this near monopoly, they have been able to settle into a smug complacency as the only game in town. If you asked the average TDI owner (say, a member of the TDIClub), the majority would probably say they'd never own a gas VW, and only have a VW because they are diesel people.