Steve182022
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https://www.roadandtrack.com/news/amp38320712/new-acura-integra-five-door-only/
Why the New Acura Integra Had to Be a Five-Door
Acura wanted a new Integra coupe, but it just wasn't possible.
By Chris Perkins
Nov 22, 2021
The new Acura Integra is the most divisive car to launch in recent memory. Some are happy there's a new affordable turbo manual sport-compact, but for every one of those people, there seems to be at least two mad that A) the design doesn't nod to previous generations, B) it's not a hardcore Type R, C) it's not a coupe, and D) all of the above. In response to these points, design is subjective, a Type S likely with Civic Type R underpinnings is coming, and a three-door just wasn't possible. But not for lack of trying, per Acura head Jon Ikeda.
"The pricing is what we're looking at, and the entry point, and market behavior more than anything. And the numbers just don't play out," Ikeda told R&T at a preview of the new Integra in California last week. "We were trying the hardest to the very end with the manual Civic Si Coupe, and if we had that car [as a base], maybe we could have thought about something else, too. But the more you do things that aren't there, the more it gets out of the zone of what people can afford."
The Civic coupe was discontinued for the car's 11th-generation likely due to low sales of the previous two-door. The new Integra is based on the Civic—as is the case with all previous Integras—and that limits what Acura can do with this one. Ikeda is saying an Integra coupe is possible without a two-door Civic to base it on, but it'd be quite expensive. Given that consumers have widely abandoned coupes, an expensive Integra three-door would quite obviously be a losing proposition.
A 1994 Integra GS-R sedan.
In today's world, where American consumers have largely moved to crossovers, offering a new five-door liftback is still a bold move. Beyond the precedent set by four- and five-door versions of the first three generations of Integra, Ikeda felt it important to make the Integra a hatchback for the extra versatility it brings. Millennials especially want to be able to pack their car with gear for weekend adventures with friends, and Ikeda believes this broadens the car's appeal.
"I really believe the fact that we stuck with the hatch and the versatility that it brings is... we might be able to get a little bit more than just what the segment is putting out right now," Ikeda said. "We need to be able to reach with this car beyond our segment."
If you're doubting the Integra's credentials, Ikeda points out that at the heart of every Integra is a great Civic, which Honda has now. He also tells us that the car's chief engineer owned two older Integras. "I said, 'Why did you buy an Integra?' Ikeda recalled. "He said, 'It was a very cool car and I was young and I was excited.' I said, 'Well, you know all the ingredients already. Just make that, because that's what it is.'"
Why the New Acura Integra Had to Be a Five-Door
Acura wanted a new Integra coupe, but it just wasn't possible.
By Chris Perkins
Nov 22, 2021
The new Acura Integra is the most divisive car to launch in recent memory. Some are happy there's a new affordable turbo manual sport-compact, but for every one of those people, there seems to be at least two mad that A) the design doesn't nod to previous generations, B) it's not a hardcore Type R, C) it's not a coupe, and D) all of the above. In response to these points, design is subjective, a Type S likely with Civic Type R underpinnings is coming, and a three-door just wasn't possible. But not for lack of trying, per Acura head Jon Ikeda.
"The pricing is what we're looking at, and the entry point, and market behavior more than anything. And the numbers just don't play out," Ikeda told R&T at a preview of the new Integra in California last week. "We were trying the hardest to the very end with the manual Civic Si Coupe, and if we had that car [as a base], maybe we could have thought about something else, too. But the more you do things that aren't there, the more it gets out of the zone of what people can afford."
The Civic coupe was discontinued for the car's 11th-generation likely due to low sales of the previous two-door. The new Integra is based on the Civic—as is the case with all previous Integras—and that limits what Acura can do with this one. Ikeda is saying an Integra coupe is possible without a two-door Civic to base it on, but it'd be quite expensive. Given that consumers have widely abandoned coupes, an expensive Integra three-door would quite obviously be a losing proposition.
A 1994 Integra GS-R sedan.
In today's world, where American consumers have largely moved to crossovers, offering a new five-door liftback is still a bold move. Beyond the precedent set by four- and five-door versions of the first three generations of Integra, Ikeda felt it important to make the Integra a hatchback for the extra versatility it brings. Millennials especially want to be able to pack their car with gear for weekend adventures with friends, and Ikeda believes this broadens the car's appeal.
"I really believe the fact that we stuck with the hatch and the versatility that it brings is... we might be able to get a little bit more than just what the segment is putting out right now," Ikeda said. "We need to be able to reach with this car beyond our segment."
If you're doubting the Integra's credentials, Ikeda points out that at the heart of every Integra is a great Civic, which Honda has now. He also tells us that the car's chief engineer owned two older Integras. "I said, 'Why did you buy an Integra?' Ikeda recalled. "He said, 'It was a very cool car and I was young and I was excited.' I said, 'Well, you know all the ingredients already. Just make that, because that's what it is.'"
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The 1.5T will likely get the Civic's CVT unit with paddle shifters.
