When Acura first confirmed that it was bringing back the 2023 Integra, it immediately brought back memories of moves like the Fast & The Furious and the massive car customization craze that it helped jumpstart alongside the Honda Civic. The 2023 Acura Integra aims to catch lightning in a bottle once again, and it seeks to appeal to a new generation of young buyers.
Showcar Styling Defines Integra
As with other recent Acura models, the Integra’s styling mirrors the prototype closely, with the production version retaining the sporty lines that defined that model. The large graphics and the colored exhaust tips are gone, but a significant omission that caught our eye was the lack of yellow in the paint arsenal. The prototype was adorned in a very bold shade, and it was arguably one of our favorite aspects of the original Proto model. Here’s hoping that Acura is saving this color for the Type S, considering it would do a good job drawing attention to some of its lines.
The exterior styling also does an excellent job of hiding its Civic roots, with only the core hardpoints showing through the swoopy bodywork. That allows it to be more distinct and cements the Civic and the Integra as two different offerings regarding pricing and what you get for the money.
Integra Takes The Fast Lane With Technology
Slip into the interior, and the Civic connection becomes more apparent, with the cabin essentially being a modified version of what we see in that car. The dashboard is all-new, and we even get a unique vent design that is not as expansive across the dashboard as it is in the Honda. The seats also match other Acura offerings, but we get to wait to see if Acura designers have done a good job of avoiding cookie-cutter syndrome when it comes to some of the finer details here.
On the other hand, technology will be an Integra strong suit, with the car boasting an impressive degree of standard goodies. A 7-inch infotainment system is standard, but buyers can opt for a bigger 9-inch screen which is also the way to go if you want wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay technology. A 10.2-inch digital instrument display (no more analog) is standard, but it can be augmented further with a 5.3-inch heads-up display. That display is part of a tech package that adds things such as wireless phone charging to the mix.
Controversy Thy Name Is Performance
When the report regarding the Integra leaked ahead of its official debut today, there was an uproar generated over the performance hardware that Acura chose to use this time around. As mentioned in the report, all Integra models will be powered by a 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that matches the Honda Civic Si’s 200 hp and 192 lb-ft of torque. However, most models will send that power to the front wheels through a CVT.
The manual is still available but only on the A-Spec model, and we highly recommend it, thanks in part to its handy auto rev-shifting feature. However, if you choose to get the CVT, Acura added a “step-shift” feature to simulate shifts, and steering-wheel-mounted shift paddles help with driver involvement. The Integra also gets the adaptive dampers that were removed from the Si, with drivers getting to choose from three different ride modes (Normal. Sport, and Comfort) with other drive modes tweaking various aspects of the car. The Integra will have 17-inch wheels standard, but A-Spec buyers will have the choice of upgrading to either 18 or 19-inch wheels depending on whether the Tech package was selected or not.
When Can I Buy One?
Acura didn’t release any pricing details, but the company promises that the Integra will still start around $30,000, with the first units being shipped this spring. Following the lead of a few other companies, Acura will also make a limited edition Integra NFT for the first 500 buyers if they choose to take one. NFTs have long been the domain of those in the arts, but they have rapidly expanded in recent years and are just now entering the automotive realm.
The wait will be worth it, though, especially since the Integra will bring a solid array of safety equipment to the table, including automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert technology.
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.