“ILX Total Control” takes drivers on a 360-degree virtual drive that responds to the motions of a smartphone. Read more…

Source: Acura

Acura’s ILX was among its models to show a decline in American sales last year as car buyers continued to show a preference for various SUV models. The ILX’s sales fell 4.1% to 11,273 units in 2018 from the prior year, while the Acura division’s overall sales rose 2.8%. Acura saw the strongest growth from RLX/RL sedans, up 56% to 1,931 units, and its RDX crossover, up 24% to 63,580 units, according to Honda. The U.S. automotive industry saw an 8% gain in truck and SUV sales to 11,786,069 units, while passenger car sales slumped 13% to 5,488,181 units in 2018, according to MarkLines.

The market size for in-car commerce is $230 billion through mobile smartphone or dashboard internet connections, according to a study from Pymts.com and P97 Networks.

The percentage of commuters who said they connect to the internet while driving rose to 73 percent this year, equaling about 99 million connected commuters, from 66 percent a year earlier. About 151 million U.S. workers commutes to work by car, spending an average of 51 minutes a day driving.