Acura Marks 40th Anniversary with First-Ever Sales in Japan, Two U.S.-Built Models Arriving in Second Half

Acura, Honda's premium brand, will make its historic debut in the Japanese market in the second half of this year—marking a milestone 40 years after the brand’s founding. Spurred by last year’s U.S.-Japan trade agreement, two U.S.-built models—the Acura Integra Type S (manufactured in Ohio) and the Honda Passport TrailSport Elite (produced in Alabama)—will be introduced to Japanese showrooms. The TrailSport Elite is the second-highest trim level of the Passport lineup, with a starting price of approximately $55,000 (around RMB 378,000). Since its inception in 1986, Acura has focused exclusively on the North American and Chinese markets and has never been sold in Japan. Senior executives at Honda’s U.S. operations stated that this move reflects the company’s longstanding trust in its U.S. manufacturing teams. Sales data shows that in 2025, the Integra sold 20,178 units in the U.S., down 17.3% year-over-year, while Passport sales reached 55,231 units, up 70.4% compared to the previous year.