Honda Integra to make a comeback – 2022 release confirmed at Monterey Car Week

Honda has confirmed a new Integra is currently in development, marking the return of the iconic nameplate after a 15 year hiatus. Announced at Monterey Car Week, the Acura badged Integra will go on sale in the Spring 2022, but details of its availability outside of North America has yet to be confirmed. . 

The reboot of an iconic sports coupe is always something of a double edged sword in the current car market. There were cheers of praise when Ford announced the return of the Puma, and Mitsubshi also got in on the act with a new Eclipse, yet in both occasions these iconic models were reimagined as compact SUVs, without much relevance to their former selves. 

There are plenty of reasons to believe Honda will not go down this route with a new Integra, with a concrete affirmation that the new model will return as a compact two-door coupe. While specifics are thin, Honda’s new Civic will be the most likely form a basis of its underpinnings, in the process essentially replacing the two-door Honda Civic coupe that’s continued alongside hatchback and saloon sales in the US.

21

This also means the Integra could, like it’s predecessors, yield a Type R variant. Honda has already confirmed the development of a new Type R based on the next generation Civic, which will be homologated for the UK, however specifics of where it will be built, and when it will arrive in the UK have yet to be confirmed. 

Acura, Honda’s Lexus rivalling luxury arm, has revealed a single teaser image showing the new Integra’s headlight and part of the front bumper, giving us some insight into what the new Integra will look like. Rather than reimagining a ‘90s aesthetic, the new model will have a more contemporary look built on Acura’s current design language. This could also be seen in the car’s silhouette, which was previewed in the form of a drone show, although there is at least one nod to a bit of retro, with the embossed Integra insignia placed underneath the headlight.  

The biggest question that remains is whether Honda will bring it to Europe and the UK. While the introduction of a small two-door coupe might seem out of sync with the current obsession with SUVs and crossovers, affordable performance cars like the GR Yaris and the current Civic Type R are proving that if the car is good, people will buy it – and given the current Type R’s brilliance, the thought of a modern Integra Type R is quite a fascinating prospect indeed.