2023 Acura Integra First Look: Elevating the Already Great Civic

After a decade and a half, the honed Honda is back on U.S. soil.

When Acura showed the Integra Prototype in November of last year, the reaction was overwhelming. Some applauded the iconic sport compact's return, while others gave its style thumbs down. To the surprise of no one, based on Honda/Acura's history of presenting near-production-ready vehicles as "concepts" or "prototypes" before debuting their final renditions,  the 2023 Acura Integra looks just like last year's prototype. The only things missing are the prototype's graphics package, yellow paint, and the cool-looking dual exhausts also painted in yellow. Its swoopy roofline, liftback tailgate and classic five-door shape pay homage to the original Integra hatchbacks from the '80s, while its new powertrain and chassis are lifted straight from the latest Honda Civic.

The 2023 Acura Integra takes over from the outgoing ILX as the gateway to the brand. And it's a smart strategy. While some Integra enthusiasts may be disappointed with the new car's design, others will see it as an opportunity to get a spirited, entry-level car without spending a fortune—or even just a more luxurious Civic with a sportier bent. The Integra will launch in three trims—Integra, A-Spec and A-Spec with the Technology Package—in the first half of this year, with a price tag starting around $30,000—pretty much where today's regular-grade Civic hatchback tops out.

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The Design Is Loaded With References To Early Integras

Penned by Acura's studio in Japan, the new Integra carries Acura's design language first seen on the 2019 MDX. Despite sharing its platform and overall shape with the 2022 Civic hatchback, the Honda and Acura don't share any sheetmetal. In fact, the Integra is a massive 6.8 inches longer, 1.1 inches wider, and 0.2 inch lower than the Civic Hatchback, though both cars share the same 107.7-inch wheelbase.

The Integra marks the first use of Acura's pentagonal grille without a frame, a feature we saw on the prototype that adds a touch of sharpness to the front end. Like other Acuras, the grille is flanked by kinked LED daytime running lights and jewel eye headlights. From the profile, the most attractive part is the C-pillar, where the roofline sharply drops down to give the Integra A a classic liftback design. The rear's soft character lines blend in nicely with the rest of the car, while its ducktail spoiler and dual exhaust lean hard into the sporty presence that Acura is hoping its Integra gives off.

Like early Integra models, the Integra name is embossed in the front and rear bumpers under the driver-side headlight and passenger-side taillight, a cue that we saw on the prototype and was (thankfully) kept on the production model.

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A Roomy, Luxurious Space Inside

Though the Integra's exterior design was previewed by the prototype, this is the first time we've truly seen the cabin. (We nabbed a brief look at a working prototype's interior recently, though it was mostly covered up at the time.) There's no masking the Honda Civic ties, but Acura took some of the best traits from the (admittedly excellent, surprisingly upmarket) Civic's interior and built on top of it, ladling on extra luxuries and some unique touches. Among the surprises? That the cabin design takes a departure from Acura's other current models by ditching those cars' big, bold rotary knob in the center console for selecting drive modes. The Civic's slim toggle switch on the console for handling the same task remains.

Besides the soft leather and suede inserts on the seats, the one thing that will impress Integra drivers is the standard 10.2-inch digital dashboard display. Dubbed Acura Precision Cockpit, the screen takes place right in front of the driver, offering modern graphics and multiple display modes that make the instrument cluster unique (a similar feature is only available on top-spec Civics). A 7.0-inch central touchscreen is standard, though top trims get a 9.0-inch touchscreen. The smaller display comes with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, while the bigger screen adds wireless connection with Amazon Alexa integrated. Those who select the A Spec with the Tech Package will also get a head-up display and four USB ports instead of one.

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We've praised the Civic's interior for its cool full-width air vent design, and Acura kept parts of it in the Integra. Although the vents don't run along the entire dashboard like in the Honda, its diamond pattern design is unique, and its functionality is the same.

As far as equipment goes, the 16-speaker ELS Studio premium audio system is standard on the top trim, while an eight-way power-adjustable driver's seat is standard on the base model. Those who get the base or A-Spec trims will get synthetic leather seats and a manual-operated passenger's seat.