There will be another Integra in 2022

Monday, 16 August 2021

The Integra is coming back. Let’s hope it’s a two-door coupe like the awesome originals and not a crossover SUV.

Honda’s American luxury arm, Acura, dropped a bit of a bomb on us during Monterey Car Week. After revealing the NSX Type S, a 447kW swansong for the hybrid supercar, it announced the Integra will return in 2022.

It didn’t confirm anything other than the badge and date though an elaborate drone show and a single teaser image, but already the Internet is rife with rumours.

This is the new, safer Honda Civic. Both literally and figuratively.

Logically, the Integra will be based on the eleventh-generation Civic platform, coming as a two-door coupe to supplement the Civic’s four-door sedan and five-door hatch variants.

It will almost certainly feature a turbocharged engine, departing from the Integra’s traditional high-revving naturally aspirated engine, but with any luck it will be paired with a manual transmission. Electrification is possible, but a teaser video featured a revving engine, so it will be a hybrid at most.

* Honda preparing send-off NSX Type S

* Honda reveals new Accord in US automotive heartland

During the announcement, Acura's vice president and brand officer Jon Ikeda said the 2022 Integra will retain the 'fun-to-drive spirit and DNA' of the original Integra. That implies the model will be front-wheel drive, which would also fit into the Civic platform assumption.

It’s unclear if the Integra will come as a range of models or even a high-performance Type R, and there is no confirmation of the model from Honda. We have reached out to Honda New Zealand to see if there is any other information on that front but haven’t heard back yet.

Acura does have its own exclusive models, like the TLX, which looks to share its angular, aggressive design. At least, from what we can tell by the single headlight shown. That could mean it’s an Acura-only model.

But, on the other hand, the latest version of the NSX was an Acura model before Honda picked it up as well, so there’s every reason to hope for a local launch. Just as long as it doesn’t come back as a crossover SUV.