ACURA: WANDERING AROUND IN THE DESERT OF DESIGN MEDIOCRITY.

By Peter M. DeLorenzo

Detroit. The hand-wringing about the new Acura Integra prototype unveiled last week has been over the top. Pitchfork-wielding partisans on both sides of the issue have been weighing in on whether or not the Integra prototype is worthy of praise, or derision. The Internet Fan Boys (some even in the “media”) have been singing the praises for the new Integra, saying that it’s a refreshing breath of fresh air and a return to glory for the moribund Acura brand. On the opposite side of the fence, the comments have been leaning toward the idea that the new Acura Prototype is “the answer to the question that no one is asking.”

For the enthusiasts out there, whose appreciation of automotive history goes back to 2010 (if that far), once-upon-a-time the Acura Integra was a driver-focused compact – produced from 1986 through 2006 – that couldn’t be further from its more conservative Honda siblings. The emphasis was on performance and fun-to-drive for the Integra, with excellent dynamics and a typically great Honda engine. And all of those qualities were magnified even further in the high-revving and high-strung Integra Type-R. It’s no secret that the Integra did more to establish Acura as a performance brand than even the vaunted NSX did. Why? Because it was affordable. And for 2022, the brain trust at Acura has decided the time is right for the brand to introduce a new Integra. 

Full disclosure?  I love Hondas. Especially the current Civic. I love the way they feel, I love their engines, I love the structural solidity, and most important, I love them because the fun-to-drive quotient is really high. So, the haters out there can put their pitchforks down (at least for 20 seconds), because I’m sure that Honda will make certain that any machine that wears the Acura Integra nameplate will be a worthy, fun-to-drive entry into the market. 

The Integra Prototype – painted in Indy Yellow Pearl borrowed from the NSX – "is a strong indication of the exterior design of the all-new 2023 Acura Integra, which will be priced around $30,000 when it arrives at Acura dealers next year," according to Acura PR minions. (There is no “strong indication” about it. That is the car. -WG) The 2023 Integra will become "the new gateway performance model in the Acura lineup, a premium sport compact with an evocative five-door design and fun-to-drive spirit," the minions continued. It will be the first-ever factory-turbocharged Integra and it will be able to be ordered with an available six-speed manual transmission, limited slip differential and high-output 1.5-liter engine, with VTEC®. “The Integra is one of the most iconic models in Acura's history,” said Jon Ikeda, Vice President and Acura Brand Officer. “This new Integra will continue to deliver on the original's unique aspirational yet attainable market position, with emotional performance and style, combined with the versatility and utility sought after by today's buyers.” (2023 marks the first time the Integra will be built in America, when it begins mass production next year at the Marysville Auto Plant in Ohio, by the way. It will be built on the same production line as the Acura TLX.)

So, everything is cool with me about the idea of a new Integra. I just can’t say the same for the current state of Honda/Acura Design. When the Acura Integra made its debut, it was a different time and a different era. And suggesting that Acura can go back and recreate the buzz of that era is naive, at best. The new Integra was designed in Japan, and it shows. Acura PR minions describe it this way: "... the new Integra's bold exterior styling features a dramatically sloping roofline and liftback tailgate, giving it a distinct coupe-like road presence." 

I beg to differ. The new Acura Integra design is derivative, boring, uninspired and a major disappointment. But it has the embossed Integra name under the driver's side headlight and passenger's side taillight, so there's that. (Wow.) Something has been wrong with Honda/Acura Design for a long time now (the exception being the new NSX, of course.) Honda/Acura designers keep trying to rouse enthusiasts with various design “signatures” on its product lineup – the grille openings, slats, creases, etc. – but they seem to fall flat every damn time. 

Other than the NSX, there is no emotionally compelling reason to desire an Acura. There is just nothing about them that draws you in, and the design of the new Integra does absolutely nothing to change that perception. Expecting more from Honda/Acura designers these days is giving them much more credit than they deserve. It is a fool’s errand, in fact. Design mediocrity seems to be their consistent M.O.

A common litmus test for enthusiasts is to ask this question: When you close the door and walk away from your ride, do you glance back at it for another admiring look? Or do you press the “lock” button and just keep walking? Needless to say, if I were driving the new Integra, I wouldn’t even give it a second glance.

I love driving Hondas, but I sure don't like looking at them. 

And that’s the High-Octane Truth for this week.

(Acura images)