One of the bigger bits of news to come out in the last few weeks is the return of the Integra nameplate to the Acura fold. Just the kind of thing to get fans who remember the glory years of the model all excited.
At the time of the announcement, we were provided with an image showing a detail of the car , but we had no idea what shape Acura has planned for it. A new image shared by the automaker this week still doesn’t make that totally clear, but we do now know that there will be a five-door version of the new Integra with hatchback.
It’s also clear from the image that the cut will be very stylized, in a fastback style.
Acura says its model will be similar to the original Integra, which was offered as a two- and four-door hatchback. But while the company hasn't completely ruled out the possibility of an Integra coupe, as some enthusiasts have been calling for, this four-door layout makes more sense if Acura wants to implant the model successfully in its category, which features the likes of the Audi A3 and Mercedes-Benz A-Class and CLA-Class, all of which have four doors.
Mechanically, rumours point to an Integra getting the seats and engines adopted for the new-generation Honda Civic, debuting for 2022. We can guess that the engine of the future Civic Si will be found in the regular version of the Integra, while a possible Type S variant will be powered by the block earmarked for the Civic Type R.
All of this remains hypothetical, but it's the most plausible route Acura could take.
In the meantime, we'll have to be patient as we wait for more official information from Acura about the Integra. The model should make its debut in 2022 and show up here sometime late in the year as a 2023 vintage.