Acura Integra returns for 2023 a reskinned Honda Civic Si

It’s been 20 years since an Integra was sold under the Acura banner (20 years if you want to get technical and exclude the RSX). It’s back for 2023, looking like a reskinned current-generation Civic Si. The good news is, it’ll steal the Si’s standard 6-speed manual, helical limited-slip diff, and turbo four as well. The bad news is, well, it’s just another Civic Si.

To be fair, it looks quite a bit better than the Civic Si, which we found a bit bulbous. The roofline looks sleeker, removing the weird upkick in the rear window. Acura painted the prototype in Indy Yellow, an NSX Heritage Color, that is said to be a nod to the Phoenix Yellow of the beloved 2000-01 Integra Type R.

Acura says the Integra was designed in Japan and told Autoblog that it will not share any panels with the Civic. They also said it’s purposefully not retro, but what they believe the Integra would have become over several generations if it had not halted in 2006 with the final RSX.

And even though the original Integras were related to the Civic, they weren’t so similar. They had drastically different bodywork, sportier engines, and different suspension tuning. Of course, those are still possible with the new Integra, as Acura has not revealed any specs and strictly speaking the car you see here is technically a prototype.

If you looked at the live chat scrolling along the side of the reveal video, though, it wasn’t pretty. Most had pretty harsh words (or vomiting emojis) for Acura. We empathize, as this model seems like a far cry from the sleek, airy Integras of decades past. Honestly, it’s pretty much what we expected. There’s no way the Integra could truly go back to its roots in today’s market. Perhaps Acura would have been better off letting sleeping nameplates lie, but we’ll reserve final judgement for when the car comes out.

Acura says it will go into production in 2022 at Honda’s Marysville, Ohio plant and sell for around $30,000.

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17 Responses to Acura Integra returns for 2023 a reskinned Honda Civic Si

  1. CycoPablo says:

    Honda updated my 2002 Elantra hatchback!

  2. Kev says:

    I wonder….is it the same as the Integra model they have in China https://www.drive.com.au/news/honda-integra-returns-in-china-with-a-twist/

  3. RX626 says:

    There are four doors? No problem, the DB8 was my favorite Integra.
    Rear end? Yeah, it looks like an Integra enough.
    Front end…Acura, sorry. I can’t tell the difference between it and the TLX.

    Everyone has known for a while that the new Integra is a reskinned Civic, so I’m not too disappointed.
    However, I am disappointed with the Acura front end, which is typical and not different from other models.
    A sleeker face without a front grille or with a very small front grille like the DA2 and DC2 would have made this car look more like an Integra.

    Not only Acura, but all brands have been promoting the family face in recent years.
    However, that is not a rule that should be applied to all cars.
    A saloon should have a face that is typical of a saloon, and a sports car should have a face that is typical of a sports car.

    • Ben Hsu says:

      I was a strong believer in corporate faces until the latest generation of Hyundai/Kia/Genesis cars came out. The designers described each brand as a family of chess pieces. They don’t look identical, but you can tell they’re a set.

  4. GSX-R35 says:

    Well, that’s…underwhelming.

  5. Ebisu says:

    What a sad looking thing… Honda really needs to renew it’s designer pool, every generation is getting worse and uninspired design wise. Maybe it’s because they are now almost fully aimed at the US market, as they know it’s the only market where it will actually sell. To be fair, the Civic it’s based on already isn’t exactly eye pleasing either… There are some interesting cues in that new Integra’s design though, especially everything that isn’t implied by the Civic platform. That new rear reminds me a lot of the Genesis Coupe’s. I think this could really stand out as a 2 door coupe. At least we can be pretty sure that it will drive well with the right specs.

  6. Lupus says:

    Not bad, but for me, living in Central Europe this car looks a bit like a shrunken Opel Insignia…

  7. BlitzPig says:

    Major league disappointment.

    It’s just so meh.

    Oh well, my Accord Coupe V6 is in no danger of being replaced now that I’ve seen the new “Integra”.

  8. Lee L says:

    It’s not a bad looking family sedan, but do I get “Integra” when I see it? Meh.

  9. j_c says:

    It’s funny that Acura releases an Integra and everyone is expecting a Type R to be the first model released.

    • BlitzPig says:

      Not expecting a Type R, which I don’t want or need. However, I was not expecting a boring sedan car that is no better than the new Civic and will cost more.

      There is nothing exciting at all about the looks of the new Integra. It looks like what it is, a bulbous, overweight sedan. A far cry from the lithe, good looking coupes that defined what the word “Integra” has come to mean. North American Honda has totally lost the narrative, and they have lost me, a decades long, loyal Honda guy.

  10. I.P. Frehley says:

    This is closer to a Mazda 6 than an Integra revival car. Maybe they could have called it the Ballade and I wouldn’t be as salty? Honda has been dead to me for years, they’re their own worst enemy and every generation has become a little worse than the previous since the death of Soichiro Honda. Sure, he did die right before the golden age of Honda but, K-series aside, everything they made during that era built upon the designs that he was alive to bless. At least they didn’t trip over the smallest possible hurdle and make it into a CVT crossover.

  11. Andre says:

    “They also said it’s purposefully not retro, but what they believe the Integra would have become over several generations if it had not halted in 2006 with the final RSX.”

    It was continued on with the ILX.

  12. BlitzPig says:

    Frankly, everyone at American Honda that is responsible for the looks, and size of this car should loose their jobs. This car is an epic failure to understand the market. Did no one in charge actually look at this thing?

    As a start it need to loose the rear doors, and about 3″ of wheel base, and have it’s roofline re-sculpted to not look so much like a dead fish floating belly up in the water.

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