This week on the show Car Guideour animators Antoine Joubert and Gabriel Gélinas test drive the Acura Integra on the Mécaglisse track in Notre-Dame-de-la-Merci.
After several years of absence, the legendary sports car is back on the market in a five-door hatchback format. A Type S version with 320 horsepower and 310 lb-ft will be on sale starting in June.
Known mechanics
The Integra shares the Honda Civic Si’s turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine. It develops 200 horsepower and 192 lb-ft of torque. Structurally, the Acura takes the platform of the Civic hatchback.
Photo: Dominic Boucher
“It’s a car that does 0 to 100 km/h in 7.3 seconds. It is also relatively light, and that’s a nice surprise. [puisqu’elle] weighs only 1,399 kg,” points out Gabriel. “It’s a car that’s agile and manoeuvrable, even in an urban environment. It’s a car with which you can experience a lot of pleasure”, continues Antoine.
Precise manual gearbox
“Here we have the Elite A-Spec model, so the one equipped with the six-speed manual gearbox, which is perfectly suited to the sporting vocation of this model. It’s an absolutely fabulous transmission,” rejoices Gabriel.
Photo: Dominic Boucher
Unfortunately, the manual is only available on the top model. The other versions have a CVT instead. Furthermore, this Integra is equipped with an adaptive suspension and a limited-slip differential. Otherwise, Antoine notes the excellent driving position and the good soundproofing of the cabin.
For all the impressions of our experts, see the video capsule at the top of this article. Don’t miss the show Car guide which takes place every Saturday at 11:30 a.m. on TVA!