The new Acura Integra, still unveiled as Prototype, marks the model's return to the North American market after a 20-year hiatus.
It is the fifth generation of the model (the fourth generation was sold in the US as Acura RSX and Honda Integra in the rest of the world), and takes on the physiognomy of a five-door saloon, with a slimmer and more dynamic appearance — it is not planned to have one. true coupe.
Underneath its lines we find the same foundations as the new Honda Civic, already launched in North America, but which will only arrive in Europe in the fall of 2022.
The new Integra stands out from its «brother» for its style elements, receiving the typical Acura face, which is marked by a pentagonal grille, flanked by slender headlamps that extend horizontally.
It's on the sides that they're most similar, with both models taking on a fastback-like profile, where the arched roofline extends to the rear spoiler.
The rear is more distinguished and 'clean', graced by torn optics, typical of today's Acura, with the niche for the number plate being in the bumper and not in the trunk lid as on the Civic.
At least 200 hp
Acura has not yet revealed images of the interior of the new Integra, but has already announced what will motivate it: a turbocharged in-line four-cylinder with 1.5 l of capacity and 200 hp (203 hp).
In other words, it will be equipped with the same engine as the Honda Civic Si (available in North America), the most powerful of the Civics, while the Civic Type R does not arrive.
The new Acura Integra not only shares the engine but also the rest of the Civic Si's drivetrain, so it will come equipped with a six-speed manual gearbox (there has been no Acura with a manual gearbox for at least five years) and a self-locking front differential.
There is talk of more powerful versions, like a hypothetical Type S, but for now it's nothing but rumors.
Nothing has been said about the chassis of the new Acura Integra either, although, predictably, it should assume the same layout as the Civic: MacPherson at the front and multilink at the rear.
Remember that the Integra, especially the Integra Type R that existed between 1995 and 2001 (third generation), is still considered by many today as the best front wheel drive ever. A challenging legacy for the new Integra, which seeks to recover the power of attraction of this remarkable generation.
