No, You’re Not Being Punk’d–the Acura Integra Returns in 2022
The new Countach might throw back to the ‘80s, but it’s no longer the only iconic nameplate making a return. Anyone who was into cars in the late ‘90s and early 2000s remembers the Acura Integra. It helped fuel the import scene propped up by Fast and Furious, especially in high-revving Type R form. And guess who’s back, back again for 2022?
Yes, the Acura Integra is coming back
No, this isn’t some prank or miscommunication. After Acura officially debuted the NSX Type S at Monterey Car Week, it pulled a ‘one more thing’ via a lit-up drone show. And the post-credits news is that the Acura Integra is returning in 2022.
Shortly after that, the first teaser image of the new Acura Integra appeared. As shown above, it doesn’t reveal much beyond the headlight and part of the grille and front bumper. However, it clearly shows that, just like the late-90s model, the new Integra wears its name embossed on its front bumper, MotorTrend says.
While the Acura Integra’s 2022 return came as a surprise, the revival’s been in the works for six years, MT reports. For context, the original Integra launched in 1986 in the US. The iconic Type R came in 1996 as a 1997 model during the car’s third generation. And in 2002, Acura updated and relaunched it as the RSX, which lasted until 2006. It was the RSX that helped spread the ‘Type S’ name in the US, along with the contemporary CL and TL.
Will the Acura Integra coming in 2022 be as fun to drive as the original?
Speaking of the Type S, Acura hasn’t revealed if the new Integra will receive a Type S variant. However, given that the brand plans to expand its Type S offerings past the TLX and NSX, it wouldn’t be surprising. No less than brand officer Jon Ikeda has expressed interest in “doing a Type S version of all models,” Motor1 notes. But even if there won’t be an Integra Type S in 2022, Ikeda promises that the new car “’will live up to the hype,’” MT reports.
As of this writing, Acura hasn’t officially revealed what kind of body style the 2022 Integra will offer. The third-gen car, as well as the RSX, were compact two-door coupes with hatchback rears. And based on the silhouette displayed at the drone show, it appears the new Integra will also be a two-door hatchback, Road & Track reports. But whatever the new car looks like, Acura says that it will be “a…compact premium entrant.”
In short, then, the new Acura Integra could be a genuine rival for sports cars like the GR 86/BRZ and the Mazda Miata. Not to mention a potential competitor for the Volkswagen GTI and Hyundai Veloster N, too.
There’s still a lot left unknown
Besides the teaser image and some speculation, hard details about the reborn Acura Integra aren’t available. It could share a platform with the current Civic, and a hypothetical Type S could use Civic Type R hardware, Roadshow muses. But the new Integra could also go away from FWD in favor of AWD, and/or pursue hybrid tech, MT says.
Acura will reveal more details about the new Integra closer to its spring 2022 reveal date. But while there’s a lot we still don’t know, with it, the new BRZ/GR 86, and the upcoming Nissan 400Z, 2022 is turning into a second coming of the 2000s import scene. And perhaps one more chance to shout ‘VTEC kicked in, yo!’
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