Test bench | Acura Integra: back to the future

After a long eclipse, the Integra returns. For better and for worse.

Eric LeFrancois
special cooperation

The name is the emotion!

For more than 20 years, we thought the Integra was installed in its role as a car passed down to posterity. Mistake. The Integra (the name, at the very least) is a fine example of what is called generational marketing. To play on the emotional register, this 21st century Integra^e century, however, avoids servile historical reconstitution as well as superficial and gratuitous exoticism. Will his disciples – many – forgive him for not having had an eye in the rear view mirror?

A modernist variation on a 30-year-old theme, the Integra nevertheless responds to an expectation, as evidenced by the frenzy – mainly among fans of the genre – surrounding its launch in North America. This creation, which owes more to the marketing departments than to the engineers of the design offices, cultivates the propensity of the young generations with strong purchasing power to pour into nostalgia and self-celebration.

It would probably be unfair to stick to this cold observation, because the Integra is one of the names (or models, it depends) that bring the most emotion to the current automotive world. She reacts. And that’s exactly what its builder wants. Understandable, at the time of its (past) glory, the Integra sold more than 1 million copies.

Beyond tradition

Rarely has a brand staged its own legend with so little care. Nothing recalls the model of yesteryear, apart from the name, timidly embedded in the bumpers. As if rekindling the flame of memory exerted a form of mistrust on the part of Acura management. The latter was cooled, it must be said, by the rather lukewarm reception of fans with regard to the conceptual version. Since then, the Japanese manufacturer has endeavored to delimit the perimeter of nostalgia. This version, in other words, does not intend to carry out a historical reconstitution. If the new Integra does not respect the appearance of its ancestor, it is to better free itself from the weight of tradition.

“Emotional car”, the new Integra is not as warm as one would like. Its handling is irreproachable, the same cannot be said of its elder, but the driving sensations that one experiences behind the wheel are, all in all, very classic. Maybe we should wait for the confirmation of a Type S, a more explosive version, which we whisper in confidence the release in a few months?

For now, there are four versions of this model, only one of which retains the services of a manual gearbox. The most expensive. If the management of Acura had the objective of dissatisfying the followers of this model, it would not have taken it any other way. Seemingly clumsy, this strategy corresponds – memory is a faculty that forgets, you know – to the days of the first Integra. Everyone fantasized about the GS-R or the Type R, but it was the wise LS, GS and RS that accounted for most of the sales.

Sign of the times, the most affordable liveries retain the services of a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). A “luxury” that the Civic Si does not offer with which the Integra has a lot in common.

So if you want the spirited performance of a Civic Si but prefer to dance on two pedals rather than three, the base Integra ($34,350) is a pretty good deal. On the other hand, if the “gear-disengagement” in the middle of rush hour represents for you a moment of relaxation rather than tension, the Si is the opportunity to seize.

Even if the Acura has certain advantages (more generous warranty, more considerate suspension and more careful interior trim), it is hard to find the justification for paying some $10,000 more to acquire it, as long as the pure performance is at the heart of your concerns.

Heavier and occupying more space on the road than a Si, the Integra poorly filters road and tire noise. The latter, moreover, are of very average efficiency and Acura, for its top-of-the-range versions, could have invested more resources (read $) in tires that are more adherent and also less sound. Some will reply that it is enough to increase the volume of the stereo system which, on the model tested, had 16 speakers. On this subject, let’s salute the high level of standard features, but also regret the shocking decision to impose a surcharge ($550) on each exterior color except for “lunar silver metallic”. It is said !

Acura claims the Integra is the most roomy in its class when it comes to rear legroom and trunk space. Good point, but the problem is that headroom is limited due to the curved arc of the pavilion. The latter also makes entry and exit more problematic. At the front, you naturally feel better and in a country of acquaintances. The furniture is, apart from a higher quality of materials, identical to that of a Civic Si…

A question of efficiency

The appeal of the ‘old days’ Integra lay in its playful performance and the feeling of control it provided. As a worthy heiress, the news promises to do even better.

The Acura’s powertrain is identical to the Si’s in all respects, but the chassis (this includes the suspension elements) has undergone some transformations. Unlike the mechanics that drove it in the past, today’s Integra appears so much rounder, more efficient and responsive. And especially more pleasant to exploit in real road conditions whereas, in the previous versions, the engine required to turn at high rotation speeds so that the horsepower agrees to gallop at high speed. add manual transmission. A delight. Precise, remarkably staged and, as a bonus, equipped with an easy-to-modulate clutch.

That said, if the engine/manual gearbox tandem produces beautiful sparks, the road behavior is much more efficient. Although firm, the suspensions prove to be sufficiently considerate and no longer lead to significant trajectory deviations as before, especially in bumpy turns. The front axle of the Integra is solid and incisive whereas that of its ancestor was often the victim of loss of traction. The fast steering carves curves with precision and gives the feeling of having the mechanics perfectly in hand. One criticism, however, is that the turning radius is surprisingly large for such a small car. And if the Integra leads you to believe that you could take on Max Verstappen, fortunately the braking system has the power to moderate your bursts of audacity.

“The disappeared are embellished in memory,” wrote Saint-Exupéry. After driving the news, one wonders.

Technical sheet

Engine

• Turbocharged 1.5L L4 DOHC
• Power: 200 hp at 6000 rpm
• Torque: 192 lb-ft between 1800 and 5000 rpm

Performance

• Weight: 1415 kg
• Power to weight ratio: 7.07 kg/hp
• Acceleration (0-100 km/h): 7.3 sec

Gearboxes

• Standard: 6-speed manual (Elite A-Spec)
• Optional: Continuously Variable Automatic (CVT)
• Drive mode: traction

Tires

Tank capacity and recommended gasoline

Dimensions

• Wheelbase: 2736mm
• Length: 4735mm
• Height: 1410mm
• Width: 1829 mm (exterior mirrors excluded)

Judgment without call

At Acura, all attention is directed towards the return of the Integra to the starting lineup. Let’s say it bluntly and without preamble: the case seems quite badly started for this model with the mythical name. Called to succeed the ILX, the Integra had, in its conceptual form, been lukewarmly received by enthusiasts. Too banal, not sharp enough in the eyes of its detractors, the future Integra perfectly illustrated the loss of substance of the brand. Jean-Marc Leclerc, President and CEO of Honda Canada, is well aware of the reactions and naturally comes to his defense. He had estimated during an interview with The Press that “this model deserves to be given the chance to assert itself”.

” I remember ”

The first Integras were dressed in three-door and four-door bodies. But it was the hatchback that made an impression. Especially in its GS-R and Type R versions. A fun-to-drive and relatively accessible sports coupe. Few people remember the flimsy-skinned stickers on which the sliders slid to adjust the cabin temperature. Rust that machine-gunned its rear fenders or even frequent loss of traction of the front axle on wet pavement. We have rather preserved the memory of its catalog full of accessories (mechanical and aerodynamic) and the emotion it provided.