Please don’t disappoint – Honda Integra is now confirmed to return in 2022!

Honda has announced today that the legendary Integra nameplate will return in 2022 and in case your jaded mind wants to ask if the Integra will only return in name and not in spirit, no the Integra name will not be slapped on some SUV.

Honda has assured fans that the Integra will return as a new compact premium car, and it will rejoin the company’s performance product portfolio.

The catch? The announcement is made by American Honda Motor Co., specifically for its upscale Acura brand.

There is still no word on whether the 2022 Acura Integra will be sold outside of USA, and more importantly, whether will it be available as a right-hand drive car.

“The Integra is back,” said Jon Ikeda Vice President and Acura Brand Officer. “I’m thrilled to say Integra is returning to the Acura lineup with the same fun-to-drive spirit and DNA of the original, fulfilling our commitment to Precision Crafted Performance in every way – design, performance and the overall driving experience.”

Apart from the short statement, Honda did not reveal any further information, adding that more details about the new Acura Integra will be available closer to its 2022 introduction.

The Integra name was first used on a Honda motorcycle, the VT250F Integra sport bike, before Honda’s car division took the name and put it on the Honda Quint Integra. Later models were sold as the Honda Integra.

The Integra is an iconic name in Honda’s history because the DA6 Integra RSi/XSi was first car to feature the legendary VTEC engine (B16A), in 1989. It was also the first car to break the 100 hp per litre barrier for naturally aspirated engines.

A white DC2 generation Honda Integra Type R sums up the best of Honda in the ‘90s. In the US, the model was sold under the Acura brand.

Unmodified examples are rare and fetch very high prices today. A four-door version was also available, including a Type R variant.

The DC5 generation was the last of Integra, and production stopped in 2006.

The shrinking non-premium performance car market (because ‘enthusiasts’ don’t put their money where their mouth/keyboard is, and prefer to buy cheap used performance cars) is too small to accommodate both the Civic Type and Integra Type R.

Also read: SUVs aren't killing sports cars, enthusiasts are

So what has changed today? Not much, but Honda’s press statement suggests that the reborn Integra will be repositioned as a premium offering, positioned above the Honda Civic Type R.

But the Acura brand is not Lexus or Genesis, so it’s a bit too far-fetched to say it can support a product that has its sights aimed at an Audi A3 or a Mercedes-Benz A-Class, but we are pretty certain that Honda knows this better than us.

So we shall wait with bated breath.

The other question will be how will the 2022 Acura Integra exist within the limitations of strict CO2 emissions regulations. The Nissan 400Z for example, is already ruled out of Europe, because of concerns surrounding CO2 emissions. Even in the US, President Biden wants EV to contribute half of USA's total new car sales by 2030.