It has been several decades since the Integra last roamed the roads, but Acura feels that there’s still some life left in this cult icon and has revived the Integra for 2023, with the company revealing a near-production prototype ahead of its official debut at the L.A. Auto Show.
2023 Integra Has Cleaner Styling, But Where’s The Passion?
As mentioned, the Integra that Acura had for the world to see was one of their long-running “Prototype” concept series and like others that follow this script, the Integra on display here is not quite ready for full production yet with the interior being hidden away behind heavily tinted windows. But the exterior styling commanded the bulk of the spotlight, and it takes the Integra in a very different direction
While the Integra will use sheet metal that will be exclusive to it, its familial link to the Honda Civic is noticeable in the side view, with the roofline and the basic profile having a familiar look to it. The front fascia has the Acura corporate grille and this piece is also complemented by a decent set of headlights. Acura claims that this version is supposed to be what happened if the model was never discontinued, and was allowed to evolve as nature intended it.
That becomes obvious when you move to the rear, with the Integra featuring the sporty sloping roofline that has become synonymous with many performance-tinged automotive offerings over the past few decades. It leads to the elegant taillights that help give the Integra a four-door coupe appearance. But it also made us ask, Where’s the passion? While the concept exclusive “Indy Yellow” paintwork and accompanying graphics package is a nice touch, Acura designers had a golden opportunity to channel some of the core characteristics that helped make older Integra models a sales smash with younger buyers, this one feels a bit bland, but we hope that the production version will help address some of these initial concerns.
Performance Hardware To Be Shared With Civic
Acura reps were tight-lipped about what kind of performance is lurking under the hood, but with the strong ties to the Civic, chances are good that the Integra could come with that model’s 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder. However, look for engineers to possibly tweak the engine a bit to produce a bit more power, especially since the engine would be paired with a six-speed manual gearbox.
The suspension and other hardware could also see some Integra exclusive tweaks, but we won’t know that until the production version makes its debut possibly sometime in early 2022.
Carl Malek has been an automotive journalist for over 10 years. First starting out as a freelance photographer before making the transition to writing during college, his work has appeared on numerous automotive forums as well as websites such as Autoshopper.com.
Carl is also a big fan of British vehicles with the bulk of his devotion going to the Morgan Motor Company as well as offerings from Lotus, MG, and Caterham. When he is not writing about automobiles, Carl enjoys spending time with his family and friends in the Metro Detroit area, as well as spending time with his adorable pets.