Acura had high hopes for its newest gateway vehicle, the ILX compact sedan, which was introduced at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show. The idea behind its creation seemed logical enough: by basing an Acura model on the Honda Civic, the automaker could lower the price of entry and attract a younger, hipper audience to the brand.

What the automaker didn’t count on was the likes of Mercedes-Benz and Audi entering the segment with compact sedans of their own, priced just a couple of grand higher than the ILX. Acura attempted to tempt buyers with a few sweeteners for 2014 but now a much more substantial update is coming.

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Yes, Acura has confirmed that for the 2016 model year the ILX will receive some styling updates, a new powertrain and a substantially upgraded interior. Acura also released this teaser image of its 2016 ILX, which shows new graphics and clear lenses for the tail-lights.

The ILX currently offers the choice of 2.0- or 2.4-liter four-cylinder gasoline engines. A hybrid option was available at launch but dropped for the 2015 model year.

We’ll get our first look at the updated car at the 2014 Los Angeles Auto Show, which commences November 18. For more show coverage, head to our dedicated hub.

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