We’ve been hearing a lot about the 2023 Acura Integra all year, and now the wraps are off, officially.
The entry-level luxury/sport hatch will, as rumored, offer a manual transmission, though it won’t have all-wheel drive.
Like the previous entry-level Acura, the ILX, the Integra appears to be heavily based on the Honda Civic, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Acura claims the Integra will be the only hatchback in its segment.
Pricing starts at around $30,000. Underhood will be a 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder (yes, it has VTEC, yo) making 200 horsepower and 192 lb-ft of torque. A continuously-variable automatic transmission with paddle shifters is standard, with a six-speed manual available. The manual will get a helical limited-slip differential.
Adaptive damping will be available and the car will have Comfort, Normal, and Sport modes. A-Spec cars will get an “Individual” mode, as well. That A-Spec package will also give the car gloss-black trim, a lip spoiler, unique badging, and special 18-inch wheels. For other trims, the Integra will come with 17s standard and 18s and 19s optional.
Standard on the interior are a 10.2-inch digital gauge cluster, 7-inch infotainment screen, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. A larger infotainment screen, wireless phone charging, Alexa voice recognition, head-up display, and premium audio are available.
AcuraWatch driving-assist is standard, with an all-new single camera being used to power features like collision-mitigation braking. A-Spec cars get low-speed braking control and front and rear parking assist. Other driver-aid features include traffic-sign recognition, traffic-jam assist (CVT only), adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, and blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert.
There will be LED lighting all around, including the fog lamps, and the rear gets dual exhaust finishers.
The Integra will be built in Marysville, Ohio, alongside the TLX.
Our initial “hot take” — or this author’s, anyway — is that the car will be a dressed-up Civic, and that’s just fine. The budget buyer will be just fine with the Civic/Civic Si, while luxury buyers or those who like the Acura’s looks better will be well-suited with an Integra. The Integra might compete well with the Subaru WRX and Volkswagen GTI/Golf R, depending on how the performance versions price out, though we can’t help but note the Civic Si offers similar performance for less than the Integra’s base price.
Acura is taking reservations now — and the first 500 folks get an NFT (barf). Deliveries are expected to begin sometime this spring.
[Images: Acura]
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As a former owner of a 1994 Integra GS-R and a 2002 RSX-s, I could not hate this more. No, not because it’s a 4 door. No, not because it has a base model. I hate it because it is a low effort cash grab. They didn’t even try to disguise that it is a Civic. Yes all the body panels are different, but the profile and all the glass is obviously the same. The body structure is clearly the same. The interior is nearly the same as well. Even the ILX didn’t suffer like this.
I am old enough to remember the Detroit automakers catching crap for doing this exact same thing. Remember how Lincoln turned a Ford Fusion into a Lincoln MKZ by adding a small chrome triangle to the C pillar just behind the door to extend the chrome window trim a bit? That’s about what this is.
agreed, low effort cash grab. No DNA whatsoever, just a bunch of marketing on a nothing car.
Years back I’d noted if Acura had simply named the ILX the Integra sales would immediately double.
It wasn’t a recommendation.
Hatred?
Hyperbole is worse than H!tler.
@dwford – like you, I’m a multi-RSX Type-S owner, and owned an Integra. I like my Acuras, and I do like the interior of this Integra, but the exterior is just leaving me very cold. There is just something in the rear 3/4 view that is clashing with my eyes. I think it’s the overdone rear wheel flares that turns into a somewhat pinched look with too much going on by the rear window and below.
With the original Integra and RSX, you really couldn’t tell you were getting a Civic, except with the nice flat floor in the rear. This doesn’t even really to hide it except for a somewhat overdone grille. The dash is straight up Civic with some minor tweaks. Again, with the older Integra and RSX, very little was shared with the Civic.
I REALLY wanted to like this car. In fact, if the situation with my current car was dragging out a little longer before placing an order for a new car, the Integra was going to be near the top of the list. Now, I doubt it. If you can live without the latest styling trend that MUST DIE WITH ALL OF THE FIRE IN THE WORLD: the light up grille badge, get the Civic Si and save some money.
And I’m serious – are buyers of some cars so insecure that they feel the need to light up their front badge. Really? All I see is more money lost in a fender bender.
You forget the the original Integra was a rebadged Honda Quint – put on sale in the US a year after introduction in Japan.
You just never saw a Honda Quint because it was a model that wasn’t sold here.
Better check your research on that one. The Honda Quint was first sold in Japan in 1980, and was a 5-door variant of the Civic.
The Integura/Integra replaced the Quint in 1985, and was first sold in the US in 1986. It was based on the Civic, with better handling and performance.
Not to be pedantic, but the car to be the first generation Acura Integra was Honda Quint Integra, so you are both right. Of course, Honda decided to release a 3 and 4 door version of the “quint” [5] so dropping the first half of the name was entirely appropriate.
An illuminated front badge is tacky and cheap, a la Mercedes. No, Honda, no!
It has two too many doors.
With a 6 speed, maybe it will be fun to drive. Too much origami, too much computer aided design, too many lines in the interior as well. Whatever happened to “Honda, we keep it simple”? Simple is elegant, functional, and timeless. This is already dated and is trying way too hard. It’s probably a very good car, but a 5 door Integra is a compromise, like a 4 door Charger; sporty cars (and race cars) have 2 doors, not 4.
I want to like this car, but I don’t see where it fits in the sport-compact / entry lux space.
1) Same mechanicals as the Civic Si, just at a higher price. I don’t see the sport-compact folks warming to it unless they just gotta have leather and a nice sound system, both of which are present and accounted for in the Jetta GLI, which goes for about the same money, and offers considerably higher performance (ask the man who owns one).
2) The entry-lux folks (i.e., the ones those silly NFTs would appeal to) aren’t going to find enough name cred here.
Now, if Acura had done a more powerful version of this, with the 2.0T from the Accord, for low-30s money, I think they’d have had less of a problem finding buyers. At that price point, this outperforms the Audi A3/BMW Gran-whatever for less money, and without the cost of German maintenance.
As is…I’m gonna call this one a sales disappointment.
It’s a Civic/Civic Si for more $$…so the buyer is a) the person who likes the exterior looks better b) the person wants Acura luxury/Acura dealer experience c) the person who was going to spend similar money on a WRX/GTI/GLI and likes this car better, for whatever reason, and won’t settle for the Si.
Also worth noting, it’s not actually that much more money. The Civic Si goes for $27,300. $3k to step up to leather seats and some other interior goodies is $3k _less_ than Mazda charges to step up to the Premium trim on the Mazda 3, and the Mazda doesn’t come with completely different sheetmetal and a much better dealer experience.
The A spec Tech shown in these press photos won’t be $30k
When I was car shopping 2 months ago, there was one Civic Si in a 350 radius of Louisville. It was up in suburban Indianapolis and the dealer was tacking on $10,000 “market adjustment.” I cringe what I think the “market adjustment” will be on this Integra.
And maybe we’ll get an Integra Type-R in a couple of years when the sales numbers need a bit of a prod.
@Astigmatism – agree with the Mazda3. It looks good, the interior is the nicest in the class, but Mazda really needs to reevaluate how much they charge for them. Those AWD and Turbo models really butt up against other cars that offer more.
@flyersfan:
Mostly agree on the Mazda3 turbo, but considering the performance, the equipment, and the standard AWD, it really “butts up” against something like an A3 quattro, which easily goes for $40,000.
The main problem I had with the car was the transmission – it doesn’t shift particularly quickly. It needs a manual or a VW-style DSG.
@FreedMike – I keep going back to the Mazda3, even after this order was placed. The interior is so nice that it could be inside a far more expensive car. It drove very well, was quiet, good stereo, etc. I would have go get the stick and that means no top trim levels for me. The 6-speed automatic might have been fine 10 years ago, but let’s face it, the VAG’s DSG with the rapid fire shifts spoils you (although a stick in the GTI/GLI is the way to go with that mid-range torque…) Mazda’s automatic is feeling a bit dated. I know more gears doesn’t mean a better transmission (ahem…Chrysler’s 9-speed???), but with a smaller engine, you need those gears to keep it in the power range.
So that’s the limbo of the 3. Too expensive in higher levels compared to a Civic, Corolla, or Sentra. Not as upmarket as the Audi A3 or BMW 2-series, or MB A-class. Even no free scheduled maintenance is offered. It is a great car at a tricky price point.
“When I was car shopping 2 months ago, there was one Civic Si in a 350 radius of Louisville. It was up in suburban Indianapolis and the dealer was tacking on $10,000 “market adjustment.” I cringe what I think the “market adjustment” will be on this Integra.”
No need to cringe. It’ll he same or less. I don’t see this car generating a lot of interest honestly. Yeah, It’ll probably be marked up initially, but only by virtue of the fact that cars are in short supply. But once that alleviates, these will just sit on the lot for the reasons everybody is saying,
As a former RSX Type-S owner, I give this a D. None of the spirit of the original Integra/RSX. It’s just a Civic Limited, or next gen ILX.
With that needle-eye demographic I’m expecting low sales as well. However, I guess this wasn’t too much money to develop in the first place.
@Tim:
I think you are describing ILX buyers, and that model wasn’t very successful, mainly because it didn’t offer the performance of cars like the A3, and Acura had no brand cachet to compete with.
Don’t get me wrong – if this is a dressed up Civic Si, then it’s going to be a very nice car. I just think it’s underpowered for the market they’re trying to go after. My bet is that it underperforms sales-wise, but we’ll see.
It is just a Civic Si hatch with a higher-zoot stereo and dual-zone climate control!
You can’t even get leather seats, despite paying several thousand more!
This smacks of taking a Civic Touring Sport hatch, dropping the Si powertrain in it, and calling the result the “EL!” That model you Canadians got didn’t do a thing to hide its Civic roots! Neither does this! And the worst thing is that the Si actually lost features that can be had in lesser Civics in order to make room for this!
Honda, will you ferchrissakes just bin Acura and offer this stuff across a wider Honda range! A Honda TLX could probably slot in above the Accord very nicely. Bring the entire Honda lineup up to Mazda-spec! Acura is fast becoming a laughingstock again!
“…Underhood will be a 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder (yes, it has VTEC, yo) making 200 horsepower and 192 lb-ft of torque. A continuously-variable automatic transmission with paddle shifters is standard…”
*thud*
A manual is optional if, like me, you don’t want a CVT.
The Integra might be enough nicer than the Civic SI to justify its higher price. If I were shopping, I would have to look at both before deciding.
Kendahl, you can’t get the manual with anything less than the a-spec model. Want a base model to row your own? “NO SOUP FOR YOU.”
I wonder if the materials and workmanship on the interior of the EL I mentioned up-thread was any better than the equivalent Civic EX-L.
The original Integra was essentially a Civic with Accord quality and features present. I’ve yet to sit in or drive the new Civic, but if the new Integra isn’t a half step above, it’s not worth it!
What do shifters achieve on a CVT?
They let you scroll through a pre-defined set of ratios. And they can be useful. They were very handy for engine braking and controlled descent when we took our 2022 Outback Touring XT into the mountains.
I used to LOVE Acura, and I still do to an extent. That said, once the NSX goes away, I struggle to see a logical place for Acura in the semi-premium car segment. They don’t sell well generally, they’re almost universally known to be less “good” at being the high end counterpart of a lower tier car than their Lexus competition (and this has been the case for a good long time now), and they just seem like the Japanese equivalent of Buick. At least Buick has basically shown that they’re phoned in. Acura is still uselessly clawing for relevance- case in point being the Integra.
Congrats Acura. You’ve just refreshed the ILX that you didn’t want to continue making because it didn’t sell well.
I’ll also admit to being a bit jaded. For me, in high school, our parking lot was riddled with DA, DB, and DC Integra’s. I fondly remember getting to go to the local Acura dealership in Richmond with my friend Jong who’s dad offered to buy him any car he wanted within a certain price. I got to ride along on the test drive of a 2000 Integra GSR with a complete Comptech supercharger package and handling package. A $47k sticker price on that car. Sadly, that was out of the budget his dad had in mind, but luckily the 2000 Prelude he ended up getting instead was within that range. THAT is classic Acura. Not this muddled mess of market share confusion, corporate overlording, and “me too” styling.
Acura does a pretty strong business with CUVs, and has for some time. That will keep it alive in the luxury segment.
I give them full credit for doing better with sedans, but the effort’s coming at a time when sedans are passe.
I know people always say I would TOTALLY buy this if…… Well here is mine. 2.0t, manual, AWD. What a car that would be. This is another victim of where it sits in the lineup, cant infringe on performance specs of more expensive cars or lose a crossover sale.
I really think they should have turned up the boost just a bit. Maybe that wasn’t possible with the lil bitty fast-spool turbo on the 1.5T, but it would have avoided a lot of internet nattering if the car had 230 hp or so.
Other than that, I like this car. It’s going to be comfortable, inexpensive for the level of content, and much better-looking inside and out IMO than the Si. The shape is the same but the details matter.
And for God’s sake it has a stick.
Acura to the best of my knowledge has never ever dropped even a token 5 hp on any upspec version.
Do you mean compared with Honda platform-mates? Because there are tons and tons of examples to the contrary. The closest example to the Integra is the 2.0T TLX vs. Accord, where the TLX gets an extra 20 hp. Pretty much every J35-powered Acura CUV or sedan has had a bit more power than the Honda equivalent (just as one representative example, the 2022 MDX has 290 hp while the 2022 Pilot has 280). For yet another example, the 205-hp K24 that powered pretty much every TSX was unique to Acura; Honda versions made between 160 and 185 hp.
The premium fuel recommended in the Acura, and the engine performing better without the timing retardation, accounts for at least some of the difference.
I always remember my excitement of buying a 1992 Acura Integra manual. I traded in an Oldsmobile cutlass which seemed to be from another decade/century. It was a fun car with nice handling although power was adequate rather than overwhelming. I was hoping that the upcoming Integra will split the power and performance difference between the Civc Si and R type. Unfortunately Honda chose to give us a better looking Civic Si.
It is a Civic SI that looks like it was built for grown ups. I don’t get the hate?
It’s “okay” but I think people were hoping for the Accord’s 252hp 2.0T engine to be available.
That would be a good gap between the Si and gonzo Type R.
But that’s never been what the Integra is or was.
I honestly find it hilarious how people think that a True Integra would be one with more power and more to distinguish it from the Civic. Back in the golden age of VTEC, a 1999 Honda Civic Si ran with 160hp. A 1999 Acura Integra made do with 140. Integras have never been numbers cars, and this one is no exception. I guess we’ll find out whether they have the special sauce people loved from the old ones when they get to drive the new ones.
You don’t have to convince me that old Hondas were slow and required gnosticism to enjoy.
I don’t expect there are enough jinba ittai people left in 2022 to make this car a success so grab it while you can.
“But that’s never been what the Integra is or was.”
Integra GSR was exactly that.
Same model year (1999):
Acura Integra GS-R: 170 hp
Honda Civic Si: 160 hp
Acura Integra LS: 140 hp
@Astigmatism:
“A 1999 Acura Integra made do with 140.”
That’s why Integra sales began to drop around this time – you could get the same performance in a cheaper Honda. That wasn’t true during the model’s earlier years, when it was a sales hit (think late-’80s to mid-’90s). During that time, it offered quite a bit more performance than a comparable Civic.
I’d take this to mean that for the Integra to sell, it NEEDS to be a “numbers car.” As it is, it’s basically a nicer Civic for more money. For the record, that was the same basic formula behind the ILX, which wasn’t a strong seller, and I don’t think this new Integra will be either.
Now, if they offered one with the bigger 2.0T and bumped the price up a touch (think $33,000), I bet they would have a stronger “buy” proposition to entry-lux borrowers – compared to “Ze Germans”, that’s a pretty solid deal, and buyers wouldn’t have to put up with German maintenance issues and cost.
Well, given that the 2021 Civic R with the 2.0 goes for $37k, my guess is that putting that same engine in an Acura for $4k less is pretty unlikely. But an Integra GS-R with the Civic R engine for $41k or so (once the Civic R is released) seems pretty likely.
Integra 2.0T (252hp version from the Accord) with the 10A (available 6M) and a starting price of $35.5K seems more compelling to the segment without being a “number’s car”.
I think there will be an Acura version of the next CTR, but I doubt it’ll be available under $45K.
@astigmatism:
The 2.0T in the Civic Type R is tuned, and the car has all kinds of trick equipment that make it costlier. Most, if not all, of this stuff could be eschewed on the “base” Integra.
I’m thinking of the “regular” 2.0T from the Accord Sport, which has 252 hp. That would be a VERY meaningful upgrade over the Civic Si. I’ve driven the Accord sport with this engine, and it’s PLENTY quick; in the much smaller Integra, this would make for a fast little car.
Equip it with that engine, price it at, say, $33-34000, and you have a more-powerful, less-expensive alternative to the A3 and BMW 2 Gran Coupe, without the German-car maintenance silliness.
If nothing else, the K-series engines are more robust and arguably better-built. Even something putting out, say, 230hp out of a K20T of some sort (versus 254 in Accord tune) probably would have been a good move.
I cross-shopped the Integra ages ago when I ended up buying a Prelude in 1999. Spider-eye headlights and all.
Really wanted to give this one a chance but when the “five-door hatch only” word came down it was a new Miata RF for me.
RETURN OF THE KING.
I have driven the new Civic and liked it except for the CVT. I was excited when they announced the Integra because I figured it would get an 8 speed auto that would bring the fun the Civic is missing. This is a big disappointment. Honda keeps finding ways to not sell me stuff.
It needs to stand out more with regard to performance. The looks are just okay, but as others have noted it’s too close to the Civic. The late 90s Integra was VERY different to the bubbly looking Civic.
A 2004 TSX is more compelling in every single way. I’d even say the ILX with the 2.4 and 8 speed dct is preferable. This is a lazy step backwards.
Acura does not care. They got all the great press for including a 6 speed and then locked it to the top trim only. Get f***ed.
A 2.4 ILX has the same amount of power, but in an eleven-year-old Honda Civic platform. And a 2004 TSX cost $27,000 new, or about $40k today.
It honestly doesn’t surprise me that people are getting so upset by Acura offering a more luxurious version of the new Civic (which is already one of the best small cars on the road) as the new Integra, but it’s pretty funny.
“which is already one of the best small cars on the road”
Recently, Turning the very well-regarded Accord into an Acura hasn’t really paid off with either gen of the TLX so I’m not sure the strong confidence is justified. Especially when we don’t have full pricing yet.
Not upset by a more luxurious civic. Disappointed that a comparable Integra is going to cost about $10k more than an SI and not have any added performance benefits. It’s lazy.
Regardless, I just bought a 22 BRZ that whips the shit out of both so I’m far from riled up. It’s just sad to see wasted potential. This is half baked and when it doesn’t sell enough units, they’ll let it languish and die.
To me it remains true to the original Integra mission – a more refined hatchback Civic than can be gussied up or sported up further. Nice to have it back in the market. 200 hp is more than sufficient for your daily commute, and with a stick still available you can rip around a little. Bravo Acura.
I personally think the Civic hatch is better deal, but I don’t find the pricing and specs of this to be horribly out of line.
Yeah, that’s my takeaway as well. Integra seems more like a lux trim of the Civic.
It really seems like a cut rate Merc A class. Nice badge, small car.
Honda once again fails to understand their enthusiast base. A proper Integra would be normally-aspirated and redline at 10,000 RPM. Because that VTEC really needs to kick in, yo.
LOL…the old VTECs were great on a track, or in a race, but having to rev your engine to 5000+ RPM to get any power in everyday driving, and then putting up with the resulting noise, got old REAL quick.
Speaking of Integras, there’s some fartcan-tard in a slammed one who’s been driving aimlessly past my building for like three hours now. Next time he comes ’round, I think I’m going to fling a flaming-dogs**t Molotov cocktail at him from my balcony.
I agree with all the posts saying this is a piss poor attempt to cash in on the Integra name . The 2006 RSX Type S I leased redlined at over 8K and was a blast to dice through traffic with at sane speeds . I should have bought one new in the rare jade green metallic , put in a LSD , replaced the crappy Bose six disc rattle trap stereo, and kept it forever. For an accurate opinion about the low redline of the turbo – just google avoidable contact 137.
Alex on Autos has some good information and perspective on this car. Turns out the ILX was outselling a number of competitors. I was surprised by that. Now I guess I understand why the Civic SI is not available with heated seats. Want heated seats in your SI? Let me refer you to our Acura franchise up the street:)
A CVT is not a luxury car transmission.
A CVT is a *great* luxury car transmission. Smooth and efficient.
It’s a poor sporty car transmission.
Which is this trying to be? I feel like we won’t know until we drive it.
I’m not sure if I agree with that statement, though I will point out the Integra -and Acura as a whole- are closer to a near-luxury marque competing with the likes of Buick and Cadillac.
I think most complaints about CVTs outside the context of sporty cars are actually complaints about engine NVH.
I have a Sportwagon that I’m happy with. I’m curious what the AWD and manual will be like. Maybe a Type S? Especially if the price is right I might be interested in a smaller car.
Darn. I’d actually hoped for content. I get a CVT. That goes in the Nissan Rogue, that is aimed at payment buyers who don’t care about driving. Another triumph of Acura marketers over Honda engineers.
Really guys, a CVT ? You couldn’t find real gears for the Integra ????
I puke every time I see a Benz with a lit star……talk about automotive insecurity.
I have to laugh at everyone opining on what the Integra was intended to be, citing examples that weren’t even the first generation.
When my parents bought our 1986 Legend, I spent plenty of time sitting in the Integra in the showroom. It was nice, but it didn’t wow me like the Legend did…
Fast forward to the 1992 model year, and I test drove an Integra. And ended up favoring the Mitsubishi Eclipse.
The Integra was a good car, but it didn’t have the wow factor for a while.
This current one looks to be the same. A good car, with good performance, that offers a nicer experience than a Honda. And that’s fine.
What appeals to me is the hatch, and the available manual transmission. That being said, I’ll be waiting for an SH-AWD variant, preferably in a Type S….unless I can move to a warmer climate where I don’t need to mess with AWD.