Even highly regarded firms like Acura are not above climbing into a cozy relationship with another marque;
witness the Acura SLX. Based on Isuzu's competent Trooper, the Acura is a marginally spruced-up version of the same truck. The SLX has a 3.5-liter, dual-overhead-cam engine that produces 215 horsepower at 5,400 rpm and 230 foot-pounds of torque at 3,000 rpm. It delivers capable acceleration in a vehicle this large, and this vehicle is definitely large. The Acura SLX is priced the same as a fully loaded Isuzu Trooper. The SLX has a softer ride that results in improved on-road manners, but it still handles like a tall truck. Luxurious sport-utes of today are like the sports cars so prevalent in the mid-eighties. Designed for function but purchased for prestige, they are seldom driven to their full potential.
in 1996 Acura became the first imported luxury brand to offer a sport-utility vehicle, recognizing that luxury-car buyers suddenly were moving to this vehicle category in large numbers.