At the Detroit auto show, almost every other introduction mentioned going after the youth market. In some alternative universe, young professional buyers graduate into a robust economy and treat themselves to an upscale sedan or SUV. Acura is hoping that, in the real world, there are enough young buyers to be attracted to their new ILX. It slots in beneath the TSX in Acura’s crowded sedan lineup. (See the Acura ILX in our Detroit show coverage.)

Funny thing is, Acura once owned this market with its Integra. Like the ILX, the Integra was loosely based on the concurrent Civic, but it was sportier and better finished. I had half a dozen friends who each owned first- or second-generation Integras. Acura sold a lot of them, and the car was well-reviewed and highly regarded.

But Acura abandoned those buyers, as well as intelligible product names, all in a march up-market. Now Acura is a mishmash of overlapping sedans, naming them with initials that obviously must include an X, with an S, T, or L often thrown in for good measure.

This leaves me wondering: Is the ILX finally a suitable replacement for the Integra? I don’t think so. Instead, the ILX reminds me of the Infiniti G20; a well-finished and enjoyable sedan with prosaic roots and bland styling. Not many people bought the G20, just like few people bought an Integra sedan. All of those Integras owned by my friends were hatchbacks, cars that combined practicality with as sporty image. (Or in the case of the GS-R, actual sportiness.) It is too soon to determine if the rather formal-looking four-door ILX will be fun or sporty.

We do expect the ILX to improve on the numerous shortcomings of the current-generation Civic. As an Acura, the interior should be more posh than the less-expensive Civic. Hopefully it will be quieter to suit a more prestigious car. Likewise, we’ll see if the steering is tuned to offer any more feedback. Some of the Civic’s engines will also be used in the ILX, such as the 2.4-liter four cylinder from the Si and the 1.5-liter hybrid, though we’re told they will be “tuned” for this application. The main engine is a 2.0-liter four cylinder that’s used in the Accord and CR-V in other markets.

The ILX goes on sale in late spring. Probably its most logical new rival is the Buick Verano, another car promising upscale traits in a smaller package. We’ll see how they compare when we test them at our track.