2023 Acura Integra Sedan

When Acura unveiled the yellow prototype for the reborn Integra model, it was met by car enthusiasts with much wailing and gnashing of teeth in internet comment sections everywhere. However, the Integra has always been a more luxurious and sport-oriented version of the Honda Civic. The revered Integra Type R was a halo model that people seem to forget was a statistically negligent percentage of the Integra's sales between 1985 and 2006. Acura has used the excellent new Honda Civic Si as a platform for the new Integra and gone to town on the chassis, interior, and bodywork while giving it a slight increase in the wheelbase. We battled Los Angeles traffic to get an up-close first look at the pre-production Integra. Our first impression was that it looks much better in any color but the yellow we saw on the prototype, but there's more to it than just that.

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Acura could have gone down the retro road with the new Integra's styling but opted to move forward rather than stay lost in the past. Instead, Acura has taken inspiration, and there are little nods to the nameplate's history, including the word "Integra" embossed into the front and rear bumper. It has a coupe-like profile shared with the Civic and a lift-back design for practicality. For those complaining it's a five-door, remember that Acura launched the Integra with five doors and we currently live in a world where lift-back practicality is king with crossovers. Styling flourishes worthy of note include the frameless version of Acura's Diamond Pentagon grille, the "Chicane" LED daytime running lights, and 17-inch alloy wheels as standard.

The A-Spec appearance package adds to the sporty style with Shark Gray 18-inch alloy wheels, gloss-black window surrounds, gloss-black front and rear fascia trim, and a lip spoiler. On the outside, the A-Spec Technology package also adds a rear diffuser and carbon fiber trunk lid spoiler.

After taking a good look around the blue, red, and gray models (the latter looks the best) Acura put on display in its secret location, it became clear Acura made a mistake showing the prototype in the classic yellow paint. It doesn't suit the car, and even though the proportions haven't changed, in the other colors, the back doesn't make us think of a compact crossover now. The new styling isn't flashy; instead, it's smart and sophisticated if a little generic. Curiously, recent leaks suggest that yellow won't even be an option on the production model.

If you're expecting more power from the turbocharged 1.5-liter engine plucked from the Honda Civic Si, then you're going to be disappointed. We found the 200 horsepower and 192 lb-ft of torque enough for the Si, though, and we have to remember an Integra Type S will come. The real test of the Integra will be in the difference in grip, handling, and ride quality that comes from Acura's suspension tuning. Acura does a great job of making each drive mode distinctive (Comfort, Normal, and Sport are the modes in the Integra) and the available Adaptive Damper System should enhance this further. It should also sound different courtesy of a new coil-type exhaust system.

The good news for enthusiasts is that a manual transmission will be available with a helical limited-slip differential. The bad news is that Acura has made the manual transmission exclusively available with the A-Spec Technology package. Another questionable decision is for the standard transmission to be a CVT with simulated gear ratios when using the paddle shifters, defeating the point of a transmission that can keep itself in the sweet spot without the fuss of changing gears.

The difference between the Civic Si and Integra is immediately apparent in the materials used. The synthetic leather seats come in Ebony, Red, or Orchid. Eight-way power adjustment for the driver is standard, while a 12-way power seat with lumbar adjustment comes with the Technology package, also adding four-way power adjustment for the front passenger. Those front seats with the Technology package have microsuede inserts that look and feel great. The A-Spec appearance package adds stainless steel pedals, red gauge needles, and contrast stitching on the steering wheel, seats, shifter, and shift boot. Taking center stage on the dashboard is a seven-inch digital touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, while the driver is treated to a 10.2-inch Acura Precision Cockpit digital gauge cluster.

Upgrading to the Technology package gets a larger nine-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. An eight-speaker audio system is standard, but we wouldn't hesitate to upgrade to the 16-speaker ELS Studio 3D system that we have routinely sung the praises of.

Interior space is as good as the Civic, but you'll still want shorter people (as in kids) riding in the back. At six-foot-one, our legroom in the back was okay if the driver was shorter, but our head bumped the sloping rear portion of the roof. The rear hatch creates a large loading area, albeit a higher one than most compact crossovers. Luggage space is plentiful, though, and the 60/40-split rear seatbacks fold flat, and you could get a bike in there as well as a week's worth of vacation luggage.

There's not long to wait if you think the new Integra is for you. Reservations are now open, but all Acura will say about cost is that it will have "a starting price of about $30,000." With the Civic Si topping out at $27,500 and the most premium Civic coming in at $28,950, it looks like the Acura Integra will deliver great value if it's not too far over $30,000 and you don't want a manual. We wonder if Acura is making an error by only making the manual option available at the highest trim level, though, but this might be a sign of things to come across the industry. Acura is positive about the car, saying the new Integra will "serve the same role in the lineup as the original model that helped launch the brand three decades ago by bringing in the next generation of driving enthusiast."

We think pricing out some enthusiasts from the manual and making others pay for a bunch of features they might deem superfluous isn't particularly inviting. A CVT isn't the most thrilling automatic, either, although if it is programmed properly in Sport mode, it could be a lot of fun.