Hope springs eternal for Acura. Over the last couple of years, Honda's luxury division has been right-sizing some of its products (TLX sedan, RDX crossover), reconceiving others (all-wheel-drive RLX hybrid sedan), and teasing us with its upcoming NSX supercar, which promises to give European sports car manufacturers something to think about, just like the original NSX did a quarter-century ago. The latest evidence of Acura's renaissance is the refreshed, reinvigorated 2016 ILX, which we just drove on the roads outside Calistoga, California.

Even though the 2016 ILX is a midcycle makeover, not an all-new model, there's no overstating the car's year-over-year character change. The prior model's lipstick-on-a-Civic disposition is replaced by a sharp, eager liveliness that reminds us of the last great compact car to wear the Acura caliper, the first-generation TSX. The 2016 ILX also projects enough premium-ness—particularly from its exterior—to finally seem worthy of a luxury brand badge.

Most of the transformation in the ILX's driving style is due to the new powertrain. Honda's happy 2.4-liter four gets direct injection and is mated to a state-of-the-art, eight-speed, dual-clutch transmission with a torque converter, producing 201 hp @ 6800 rpm and 180 lb-ft of torque @ 3600 rpm. It's the sole ILX powertrain, and although we could rant about Acura killing off the manual transmission, there's not much point: fewer than 5 percent of ILX buyers bought it, so there's simply no business case to be made for it. That's the sad reality.

We will, however, extol the virtues of Honda's revvy, silken four and eight-speed dance partner. This is also the base powertrain in the new TLX (which succeeded both the previous TSX and TL sedans). With 50 more hp and 40 additional lb-ft of torque compared with the previous ILX's 2.0-liter four and five-speed automatic—as well as a meatier torque curve than last year's 2.4-liter, which lacked direct injection—the improvement in acceleration is massive. Acura claims that the ILX's 0-to-60-mph time—8.3 seconds when we tested a 2015 model with the 2.0-liter and five-speed slush 'box—has been trimmed by 2.5 seconds. We haven't tested the 2016 model, but after a few stabs of the go pedal, we find that claim entirely believable.

In addition to making the ILX quicker and smoother off the line, the eight-speed gearbox snaps off crisp shifts in automatic mode. You can pop the lever into sport mode and hammer away, because the transmission always seems to know exactly where in the rev range the engine should be. It also serves up rorty, rev-matched, predictive downshifts under braking. Nice. In manual mode—operated only with the standard paddle shifters—gears are held through redline, though an automatic upshift follows should you fail to hit the appropriate paddle.

Acura shored up the ILX's body structure to allow for a re-tuned suspension and help the sedan perform better in the brutal IIHS small frontal overlap crash test. The result is a stiffer, more solid feeling car that's better able to absorb road impacts. The cabin is even a bit quieter. While the ILX still understeers early and often, its steering is more tactile, particularly in the new A-spec model with its 18-inch wheels and 225/40-series tires (17-inch wheels and 215/45-series rubber are standard). Regardless of model, the 2016 ILX is a better, more cohesive car to drive. We will be interested to see how it stacks up dynamically with the Audi A3, which Acura identifies as its performance bogey.

If you sat inside the old ILX and squinted, you might have thought you were in a Civic, but the new ILX's upgraded cabin materials, revised stitch patterns, and contemporary dual-screen info-navi-tainment system all help the entry-level Acura finally feel like a luxury car, not a wannabe luxury car. As Honda does on certain models, Acura is offering the mid-grade ILX Premium Package with a $60 smartphone navigation app. Sensible. Safety and assistance features that are now the luxury-car norm, like adaptive cruise control, collision warning, and lane-keeping assist, are available.

The aforementioned A-spec package adds a rear spoiler, side sill trim, fog lights, aluminum pedals, and red-lit gauges. All ILXs, however, get new fascias, LED taillamps, and Acura's newly ubiquitous jewel-eye headlamps, and it's these seemingly subtle refinements that give the ILX an altogether more attractive street presence.

So, the ILX is more powerful, better looking, and more luxurious. If only the manual transmission were still offered, we could tout the ILX as the triumphant return of the TSX, but it's not so we won't. But the ILX no longer feels like a Civic, and it's evidence that Acura has its ear to the ground and is working to restore its former luster. We have little doubt that the new NSX will be killer, but the realignment of the ILX, heir to not only the TSX but also the legendary Integra, is what really gives us hope for the Acura brand.

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