Australia to miss out on sporty new Honda Integra fastback with turbo power and manual gearbox option
Less than a year after the reborn 2023 Honda Integra was launched in the United States, the Japanese icon has been reinvented as a traditional hatchback in China.
Confusingly, the latest five-door Honda Integra shares most of its body panels with the latest 11th-generation Honda Civic, rather than the fifth instalment of the Acura Integra that was launched back in March 2022.
Produced by GAC-Honda in China, the Integra hatch is expected to be limited to the Chinese market, where the nameplate is already available on a four-door sedan version that went on sale in late 2021.
According to Honda, the new Integra hatch will be available with either a 132kW/240Nm 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder (badged 240 Turbo) or a 2.0-litre eHEV hybrid that gets 105kW and 315Nm of torque.
Both come with a CVT automatic, but the sportier 2.0-litre turbo gets the option of a six-speed manual transmission – a rarity in China.
No performance figures have been released for either model.
Adding some extra visual spice to the 240 Turbo, there’s a boot spoiler, dual exhausts, a diffuser and what’s described as a racing-style brake light.
The Integra hatchback hybrid has more toned-down looks, with colour-coded door handles in place of the 240 Turbo’s black items. There are also less prominent exhaust pipes.
No pictures of the new Intergra hatchback’s cabin have been released, but it’s likely to be similar to the latest Civic.
Pricing has yet to be revealed, but the Integra hatchback is tipped to kick off at around 130,000 Chinese yuan ($A27,000).
Sadly, there’s zero chance of the 2023 Honda Integra coming to Australia, whether it’s the US fastback or Chinese hatch and sedan, with local management making it clear that the sporty Integra is not part of its future product plans.
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Keyword: New 2023 Honda Integra hatchback revealed