2023 Acura Integra First Look: Civic, Elevated
When Acura showed the Integra Prototype in November of last year, the reaction was overwhelming. Some applauded the iconic sport compact's return, while others gave its style thumbs down. To the surprise of no one, based on Honda/Acura's history of presenting near-production-ready vehicles as "concepts" or "prototypes" before debuting their final renditions, the 2023 Acura Integra looks just like last year's prototype. The only things missing are the prototype's graphics package, yellow paint, and the cool-looking dual exhausts also painted in yellow. Its swoopy roofline, liftback tailgate and classic five-door shape pay homage to the original Integra hatchbacks from the '80s, while its new powertrain and chassis are lifted straight from the latest Honda Civic.
The 2023 Acura Integra takes over from the outgoing ILX as the gateway to the brand. And it's a smart strategy. While some Integra enthusiasts may be disappointed with the new car's design, others will see it as an opportunity to get a spirited, entry-level car without spending a fortune—or even just a more luxurious Civic with a sportier bent. The Integra will launch in three trims—Integra, A-Spec and A-Spec with the Technology Package—in the first half of this year, with a price tag starting around $30,000—pretty much where today's regular-grade Civic hatchback tops out.
The Design Is Loaded With References to Early Integras
Penned by Acura's studio in Japan, the new Integra carries Acura's design language first seen on the 2019 MDX. Despite sharing its platform and overall shape with the 2022 Civic hatchback, the Honda and Acura don't share any sheetmetal. In fact, the Integra is a massive 6.8 inches longer, 1.1 inches wider, and 0.2 inch lower than the Civic Hatchback, though both cars share the same 107.7-inch wheelbase.
The Integra marks the first use of Acura's pentagonal grille without a frame, a feature we saw on the prototype that adds a touch of sharpness to the front end. Like other Acuras, the grille is flanked by kinked LED daytime running lights and jewel eye headlights. From the profile, the most attractive part is the C-pillar, where the roofline sharply drops down to give the Integra A a classic liftback design. The rear's soft character lines blend in nicely with the rest of the car, while its ducktail spoiler and dual exhaust lean hard into the sporty presence that Acura is hoping its Integra gives off.
Like early Integra models, the Integra name is embossed in the front and rear bumpers under the driver-side headlight and passenger-side taillight, a cue that we saw on the prototype and was (thankfully) kept on the production model.
A Roomy, Luxurious Space Inside
Though the Integra's exterior design was previewed by the prototype, this is the first time we've truly seen the cabin. (We nabbed a brief look at a working prototype's interior recently, though it was mostly covered up at the time.) There's no masking the Honda Civic ties, but Acura took some of the best traits from the (admittedly excellent, surprisingly upmarket) Civic's interior and built on top of it, ladling on extra luxuries and some unique touches. Among the surprises? That the cabin design takes a departure from Acura's other current models by ditching those cars' big, bold rotary knob in the center console for selecting drive modes. The Civic's slim toggle switch on the console for handling the same task remains.
Besides the soft leather and suede inserts on the seats, the one thing that will impress Integra drivers is the standard 10.2-inch digital dashboard display. Dubbed Acura Precision Cockpit, the screen takes place right in front of the driver, offering modern graphics and multiple display modes that make the instrument cluster unique (a similar feature is only available on top-spec Civics). A 7.0-inch central touchscreen is standard, though top trims get a 9.0-inch touchscreen. The smaller display comes with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, while the bigger screen adds wireless connection with Amazon Alexa integrated. Those who select the A Spec with the Tech Package will also get a head-up display and four USB ports instead of one.
We've praised the Civic's interior for its cool full-width air vent design, and Acura kept parts of it in the Integra. Although the vents don't run along the entire dashboard like in the Honda, its diamond pattern design is unique, and its functionality is the same.
As far as equipment goes, the 16-speaker ELS Studio premium audio system is standard on the top trim, while an eight-way power-adjustable driver's seat is standard on the base model. Those who get the base or A-Spec trims will get synthetic leather seats and a manual-operated passenger's seat.
Thanks to the hatch body style and longer-than-Civic dimensions, the Integra is quite roomy. The rear seats fold completely flat, leaving a ton of space for large items like a surfboard, or even allowing short people to sleep in it. The drawback to that sultry roofline is headroom for the rear seat occupants is tighter, meaning tall passengers will feel the headliner touching the top of their heads.
Body By Acura, Powertrain By Honda
The 2023 Acura Integra will be powered by a 1.5-liter turbo-four engine sending 200 hp and 192 lb-ft of torque to the front wheels. A CVT transmission is standard, though a six-speed manual with a limited slip differential is available. That comes with a bit of a catch, as the manual is only available in the top trim, but it will be offered at no cost. Automatic versions will get paddle shifters. If these setups sound familiar, it's because they're lifted from the Civic; however, the turbo engine is the version from the sportier Civic Si—as is the six-speed manual transmission—while the CVT is borrowed from the lower-output 1.5-liter turbo engine offered in the regular Civic EX and Touring models. Honda doesn't offer the Si with any automatic, making the Integra's entry-level setup (200-hp turbo and CVT) unique. Ditto the combination of Si power in a hatchback body; the Civic Si is only offered as a sedan.
For enthusiasts, the A-Spec with the Technology Package will be the trim to get solely due to the availability of the six-speed and adaptive suspension (besides, of course, its attractive equipment). A-Spec models also get the optional 18-inch wheels (compared to 17s in the base model), though there will be 19-inch wheels available as dealer-installed options.
Four drive modes are available—Comfort, Normal, Sport and Individual. The latter allows the driver to change the suspension, steering and transmission settings individually.
So, How Much?
Acura says the Integra will start around $30,000 and will max out in the mid-$30,000s. And from what we've seen in person, Integra will bring great value to shoppers. It will be a good alternative to those considering a Mercedes-Benz CLA, BMW 2 Series or Audi A3, and it might even steal some buyers from the Civic hatchback, which maxes out at $30,865. While some might bemoan the overall, well, Civic nature of the Integra, know this: The latest Civic is a premium-feeling, slick-driving compact. A version with power in line with the sportier Civic Si that also combines a ton of extra luxuries and even more upmarket styling with a practical hatchback body sounds pretty appealing, especially given it won't cost much more than the Honda.
Reservations for Integra are now being taken, and the first 500 buyers will have a chance to get a limited-edition NFT. We look forward to driving Integra in May of this year, with the vehicle arriving to U.S. dealerships soon after that.
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In business as in life, there are winners and there are losers, and it's just that simple. So as we look back on 2021 and forward to 2022, let's take stock of the new cars, trucks, and SUVs that stood out this year for exceeding expectations—the best kind of surprises—and those that stood out by falling flat. We've picked five of each, so buckle in and take in the best and worst that the auto industry put on offer in 2021.
hyundai ioniq-5 Full OverviewThe 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 is the most consequential new Hyundai since the original Genesis sedan. The Genesis changed people's perception of Hyundai as a brand, for the first time putting the Korean automaker in the luxury conversation alongside names such as Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Lexus. The new 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 is destined to change the perception of Hyundai again—only this time the conversations will be around Tesla.What Is It?The Ioniq 5 is the first Hyundai EV built on Hyundai Motor Group's Electric-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP). The Ioniq 5 is available worldwide with either a 58-kWh or 77.4-kWh battery pack and a single motor driving the rear wheels or (with the 77.4-kWh battery) motors front and rear providing all-wheel drive. In North America, the 77.4-kWh battery pack is the sole option.Even by the standards of today's topsy-turvy automotive taxonomy, the 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 is something of a segment buster. In photos, its crisp styling and taut proportions suggests a Veloster-sized hatchback with a sort of Hyundai-does-VW-Golf vibe. Look again and consider: It's rolling on 20-inch wheels and 255/45 Michelin Primacy Tour tires. In the metal, the Ioniq 5 is almost as big as a BMW X3, with a 118.1-inch wheelbase—that's an inch longer than a BMW X5's.Car Style, SUV SubstanceOur test vehicle is the range-topping 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 Limited HTRAC, which comes equipped with the big battery and all-wheel drive courtesy of two motors that produce a total of 320 hp and 446 lb-ft of torque. It also boasts a swag of premium goodies ranging from a power driver's seat with memory to a high-end Bose audio system to a head-up display and adaptive cruise control. You get all of this for $55,725.That's considerably less money than you'll spend for a dual-motor Tesla Model Y Long Range, which is listed at $60,900. What's more, the Hyundai looks and feels like a much more premium product. Where the Model Y's cabin is stark and austere, the Hyundai Ioniq 5's interior is thoughtfully detailed and well-finished, and it has buttons and knobs and targeted touch panels that mean you don't have to waste time looking away from the road to peck furiously at a giant screen to access mundane functions as you do in the Tesla. And while from the outside the Model Y looks as if it's been thrown together in a tent, with inconsistencies in the panel fits you can see from, er, Mars, the Hyundai's fit and finish is first rate.Testing, TestingThe new Ioniq 5 initially feels like a softer car to drive than many of its EV contemporaries, with its suspension seemingly tuned more for comfort than corners. But that's not to say it's slow. At the test track, the 0-60-mph sprint took just 4.4 seconds en route to a standing quarter-mile time of 13.2 seconds at 102.7mph. And unlike some EVs—the Ford Mustang Mach-E GT Performance Edition is a notable example—the Hyundai's rate of acceleration didn't fall off dramatically as speeds increased. Instead, it was able to sustain its forward push right through the quarter mile.Yes, the Tesla Model Y Long Range is quicker overall, whooshing down the quarter mile in 12.4 seconds at 114.8 mph, but the difference between the two is mostly at high speed, which has little relevance in real-world driving. The Hyundai's superior torque—its twin motors produce an additional 70 lb-ft compared to the Tesla—effortlessly punches the Ioniq 5 away from a standstill, and it's only 0.3 second slower to 60 mph than the 7 percent lighter and 20 percent more powerful Model Y.Despite its soft suspension, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 is surprisingly adept in the twisty bits. We recorded a figure-eight lap time of 25.7 seconds, just 0.2 second slower than the BMW X3 M40i we happened to test on the same day. This caused us to exclaim, "Holy smokes!" Frankly, we didn't expect this car to be as fun and capable as it is; it's quick and has way more grip than we anticipatedThe biggest surprise was how playful the Ioniq 5 can be on corner exits with all the nannies switched off: It actually drifts. Just for fun, we tried for a full sideways lap of the skidpad, and the Hyundai made it two-thirds of the way around before letting go.The asymmetric front-to-rear power and torque split of the dual-motor Ioniq 5—the front motor makes 99 hp and 188 lb-ft, while the rear pumps out 225 hp and 258 lb-ft—combined with near neutral front/rear weight distribution doesn't just make the Hyundai a giggle when you want to play at the track. It also makes it feel more poised on normal roads at normal speeds, despite steering that, though precise and direct, doesn't provide a lot of feedback.Brake feel is the car's biggest dynamic niggle. The blending between regenerative and mechanical braking is smooth, and the system hauled the 4,684-pound Hyundai to a stop from 60 mph in 123 feet, 5 feet more than the Tesla Model Y required. But we disliked the lack of feedback through the pedal: There's very little travel or pedal pressure under heavy braking before the ABS kicks in.More DetailsYou can actuate one of three drive modes—Eco, Normal, and Sport—via a large button beneath the steering wheel's left spoke. In simple terms, the modes change the weighting of the accelerator pedal, effectively encouraging the driver to make smoother and gentler inputs. Six regenerative braking levels are offered, ranging from zero (which allows the Ioniq 5 to coast freely) to a mode that enables one-pedal driving, with the car slowing to a gentle halt the moment you lift off. There is also an auto mode. Drivers can switch between these modes via steering wheel paddles.After a bit of experimentation, we preferred to set the drive mode to Sport, which allowed us to make the most of the powertrain's instant-on response, and the lift-off regenerative braking to Level 1, which enabled the 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 to flow down the road much like a regular combustion-engine car with an automatic transmission when lifting off the accelerator.Range FinderHyundai says the 77.4-kWh battery gives the dual-motor Ioniq 5 a range of 256 miles. Our stints on the road, which included highway cruising at 70 to 80 mph and some brisk bursts along quiet back roads, as well as endless fiddling with drive modes and regen settings, saw the Ioniq 5 consume 2.7-kWh per mile, according to the onboard computer, which translated to a range of just about 200 miles. Driven normally, you should expect a usable range of 220 to 230 miles, more if you are content to noodle along in Eco mode.No, the Ioniq 5 Limited won't travel as far between charges as the Tesla Model Y Long Range, which has a claimed range of just more than 300 miles. But you'll spend about 30 percent less time at the charging station with the Hyundai. Find a 350-kW DC fast charger, and the Ioniq 5's battery can be juiced from 10 percent charge to 80 percent in just 18 minutes and topped up fully in less than an hour. No other mainstream EV, apart from the identical-under-the-skin Kia EV6, can recharge so quickly.Do You Want One?In terms of overall practicality, the 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 is a mixed bag. The long wheelbase and flat floor mean the rear seat easily accommodates 6-foot-tall adults, and there's plenty of storage space around the cabin. But unlike most two-box SUVs, it is truly a hatchback, not a wagon. The raked C-pillars and angled backlight chew into the shallow load space at the rear, and there's only a small storage tray in the frunk.If driving range and load lugging are your absolute priorities, the Tesla Model Y Long Range, which will travel 28 percent farther between charges and has about 60 percent more luggage capacity with the rear seats up, would seem the obvious choice. But those two advantages come at a price.The Ioniq 5 Limited not only costs about $5,000 less than the Model Y, but it's also quieter and more comfortable to drive, is a visibly higher-quality vehicle inside and out, and can recharge much quicker. That it's also brisk and fun to drive if you want it to be are bonuses.Indeed, the 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 Limited HTRAC is a compelling all-arounder for the buyer who wants a premium EV, without paying top dollar.Looks good! More details?2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 HTRAC (Limited Long Range) SPECIFICATIONS BASE PRICE $55,725 PRICE AS TESTED $55,920 VEHICLE LAYOUT Front and rear-motor, AWD, 5-pass, 4-door SUV MOTOR TYPE Permanent-magnet electric POWER (SAE NET) 320 hp TORQUE (SAE NET) 446 lb-ft TRANSMISSION 1-speed automatic CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST) 4,684 lb (51/49%) WHEELBASE 118.1 in LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 185.2 x 74.4 x 63.0 in 0-60 MPH 4.4 sec QUARTER MILE 13.2 sec @ 102.7 mph BRAKING, 60-0 MPH 123 ft LATERAL ACCELERATION 0.88 g (avg) MT FIGURE EIGHT 25.7 sec @ 0.71 g (avg) EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON 110/87/98 mpg-e EPA RANGE, COMB 256 mi ON SALE Early 2022 Show All
bugatti chiron Full OverviewYou need not watch a single Western film to understand the visual metaphor of the hero riding off into the sunset. Once their work is done, the story concludes and they leave the audience behind as the sun sets and the screen fades to black. Sometimes, they ride off slowly, other times they charge off into the unknown. When your story's hero is the 2022 Bugatti Chiron Super Sport, the last of its kind, racing into the sunset at 273 mph is the only way to go.After all, this is as much a goodbye as it is a hello. The Super Sport is a new twist on the Chiron formula that'll keep Bugatti craftspeople busy for years to come, but it's also the end of the line. With the company's controlling stake sold to electric supercar startup Rimac, the Super Sport is not only the last Chiron, but in all likelihood the last purely combustion-powered Bugatti road car (the Chiron-based Bolide coming in 2024 will be a track car only).Following on the heels of the record-breaking Super Sport 300+ and the brand-redefining Pur Sport, you may be tempted to think of the Super Sport as a bit of a letdown, but you'd be wrong. Limited to only 273.4 mph, it's nowhere near as fast as the 304-mph Super Sport 300+; and absent the fixed wing, weight savings, and high-grip tires of the Pur Sport, it's not as corner-focused. What it is, however, is a delicious blending of those two cars.The Most Complete ChironDeveloped with learnings from both the 300+ and the Pur Sport, the Super Sport is the Chiron lineup's tour de force. Where either prior model falls short, be it in top speed or handling, the Super Sport steps in. It may be second best at both in absolute terms, but it's the clear leader as a complete car.You can see the melding of purposes when you look at it. Like the 300+, the Super Sport gets a new rear bumper that extends the bodywork nearly 10 extra inches to allow for both a larger rear diffuser and greater taper in the roofline. The longtail treatment, combined with revisions up front, like a similarly enlarged splitter and EB110 SS-inspired fender vents, gives the Super Sport the aerodynamics it needs for top speed runs.Look closer, or start driving, and you'll find it retains a movable rear wing that doubles as an air brake, because this car isn't just about terminal velocity. Likewise, it wears tires fortified to withstand the extreme forces applied at 273 mph but also made of a stickier compound so they can still handle turns at lower speeds. Behind the Super Sport-exclusive wheels are stiffer rear springs, steering calibrated for extreme speeds, and adjustable dampers controlled by programs lifted from both the 300+ and the Pur Sport and applied as needed.Select Your Mode WiselyThe need is, of course, dictated by the driver. Slip inside and adjust the delightfully weighted and self-righting knob on the steering wheel for the day's work: EB for milling about, Handling for back roads and racetracks (primarily the latter), Autobahn for extended high-speed cruising, and Top Speed, which as always must be double-confirmed by inserting a key into a special switch below the driver's left thigh.Truth be told, the selector knob will get its biggest workout performing its most important function: activating the nose lift system before traversing speed bumps and steep driveways. If the presence of such a device weren't enough to make you nervous about damaging the carbon-fiber nose, bear in mind the car lowers itself even further in Handling mode.Handling mode you can quite honestly save for the track. EB mode (for founder Ettore Bugatti), is exceedingly capable, especially once you slot the shifter over into its Sport mode. So adjusted, the Chiron Super Sport's nature changes. Gone is the shockingly demure boulevard cruiser, replaced with an assertive corner specialist. Higher gears are forsaken, engine revs are forbidden from dropping below 2,500 or so, and the car waits with bated breath for your input—ready to leap in any direction at the slightest indication of your desire.Drive Fast, Drive DelicatelyThat's what's truly marvelous and unexpected about this car: It drives delicately. That's not a phrase you'd ever think to use around a car that carries such intimidating numbers, unless you're talking about the $222,500 paint or the even more expensive bodywork. But no, somehow this 1,578-hp, quad-turbocharged, 16-cylinder, 273-mph car that hits 60 mph in less than 2.5 seconds is putty in your hands.There's absolutely no need to wrestle with this car, no matter how fast you're going. It doesn't need to be forced, it needs to be caressed. Brush the throttle and brake pedals with the toe of your shoe. Hold the wheel by your fingertips and gently guide it through its arc. Flick the paddle shifters as you'd whisk a crumb from your table. Angry, ham-fisted inputs will only make you look like a fool.Counterintuitive as it sounds, the Chiron's massive powerplant—wrapped in an even more massive car—shrinks around you as the road bends. As hard as it is to park, it's inversely easy to drive up a narrow canyon road. The steering is light and incredibly precise, completely unfazed by the absurd amount of engine power sent to the front wheels. The body remains flat through corners like a lighter, smaller supercar, but without the usual flinty ride. The precision of movement in every axis just isn't what you expect from something this large, this heavy, this powerful.If you want giggle-inducing power, it isn't hard to get. Anything more than a kiss of the throttle pedal will get you enormous forward thrust if you have the revs up. Stay in it, and the latest, greatest, and probably last electrically unassisted iteration of Bugatti's fearsome W-16 engine makes peak torque from 2,000 rpm all the way to 7,000 rpm and peak horsepower just 50 rpm shy of its 7,100-rpm redline.What's surprising is that in 2022 this car has the turbo lag of a 40-year-old Porsche 911 Turbo at low rpm. Despite the redesigned impeller wheels in the enlarged turbos and their staggered two-stage engagement, dropping the hammer while trundling around does not result in acceleration to hyperspace. It's several confusing beats until anything special happens, but when the bass drops, it'll chirp all four tires. Commit to it, and the otherworldly surge of acceleration will make even the most jaded Tesla owner giggle. Then, it grabs the next gear, and the 0.3-second dip in boost (yes, Bugatti measured it) is just long enough to make the return to full power feel even more apocryphal.Insanely Dignified PerformanceStay committed for more than a literal few seconds, and you'll be traveling over 100 mph. In less than 10 seconds, the time it takes some brand-new cars to reach freeway speeds, you'll be doing 150 mph. Such a tiny window of time in which to experience this car's potential—and the equally scant windows in traffic and weather that would allow for it—will keep you chasing the dragon the length of your drive and the length of your possession of the car.And while it will chirp all four massive tires simultaneously, that's as out of control as it gets. How street tires can control power like this while simultaneously keeping a coupe that weighs as much as a luxury sedan neutral through corners and stopping all that mass like a track day special is a secret only Michelin knows. The grip, in any direction you ask of it, is simply phenomenal and begs you to test it. The more you do, the more you realize just how massively you've underestimated it.In a world in which incalculably less expensive cars can also accelerate this quickly and in which there are approximately three places on Earth where you could ever hope to visit the far end of the Chiron Super Sport's analog speedometer, the fact this car handles as well as does is what sets it apart. People who only care about being the fastest have already bought up all 30 Super Sport 300+ copies, and those who want their Bugatti to drive like a McLaren with twice the power have bought up all 60 Pur Sports. Those who don't want to have to choose have the Super Sport, which will no doubt be sold out between the time we finish typing this sentence and the time you read it. (Update: It did.)This is not, then, Bugatti going gently into that good night. It is not a whimper, nor is it a disappointment. This is Bugatti raging against the dying of the light in the only way it knows how: with the most dignified 1,578 horsepower the world has ever known.Looks good! More details?2022 Bugatti Chiron Super Sport Specifications BASE PRICE $3,825,000 LAYOUT Mid-engine, AWD, 2-pass, 2-door coupe ENGINE 8.0L/1,578-hp/1,180-lb-ft quad-turbo direct-injected DOHC 64-valve W-16 TRANSMISSION 7-speed twin-clutch auto CURB WEIGHT 4,400 lb (MT est) WHEELBASE 106.7 in L x W x H 188.7 x 80.2 x 47.7 in 0-60 MPH 2.4 sec (mfr est) EPA FUEL ECON 8/11/9 mpg ON SALE Now Show All
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