The 2013 Acura ILX represents the brand’s first car on the Honda Civic platform (for U.S. customers, at least) since the demise of the Acura RSX. While the RSX was a coupe, the ILX becomes Acura’s entry-level sedan, slotting in below the TSX and intended to attract new buyers into the fold.

Exterior styling incorporates design elements common to the Acura line, such as the tastefully-revised chevron grille. There's an interesting character line that stretches from the front fender and across the doors, sweeping upward to (presumably) convey a sense of motion.

As Joel Feder explains, the 2013 ILX will be available with a choice of three engines, with the base model using a 2.0-liter four cylinder. A sporty ILX variant will borrow the 2.4-liter four from the Civic Si and the current Acura TSX, while an ILX Hybrid will use Honda’s 1.5-liter four cylinder, supplemented with Integrated Motor Assist (IMA).

All three will be manufactured in Honda’s Greensburg, Indiana, plant, which gives the 2013 Acura ILX Hybrid the distinction of being the first Acura built by Honda in the United States.

While the ILX Is shown here in concept form, we expect that production versions will be very similar in appearance, as was the case with the last generation Honda Civic and the newly released Honda CR-V. Look for the 2013 Acura ILX to begin production later this year.