The 2023 Acura Integra has made its triumphant return and, on top of that, has achieved the best possible score from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) as part of its 2022 year testing. Achieving a Top Safety Pick+ (TSP+) is not easy, as many new makes and models miss out for several reasons.

In the case of the Integra, it earned the TSP+ score thanks to getting a Good rating in all crashworthiness tests along with a Superior score in crash avoidance tests thanks, in part, to the sedan's advanced Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS).

The latter is part of the AcuraWatch suite of safety and driver-assist technologies. Some features in the CMBS include adaptive cruise control with a low-speed follow function and road departure mitigation technologies.

Like other Honda and Acura vehicles, the 2023 Integra boasts an advanced body structure explicitly designed to increase passenger protection and crash strength in frontal collisions. The structure features, according to Acura, "a network of connected structural elements to distribute crash energy more evenly throughout the front of the vehicle and reducing forces transferred to the passenger compartment."

The Integra is the fourth Acura with a TSP+ score (the others include the MDX, RDX, and TLX). For those who don't recall, earning a TSP+ rating requires a Good rating in the hard-to-pass passenger-side small overlap test.

Additional must-haves are a front crash prevention system with at least an advanced score, ideally a superior, in vehicle-to-vehicle and daytime vehicle-to-prevention testing.

The one area where many makes and models miss out on the TSP+ score is the headlights, believe it or not. The IIHS demands that a vehicle earn a good or standard rating in that department.

The reborn Integra comes powered by a 1.5-liter turbocharged four-pot rated at 200 horsepower and 192 lb-ft of torque, which is paired to either a CVT or a slick manual transmission with a limited-slip diff. This is the same engine and gearbox combo found in the excellent Honda Civic Si, and it's fair to assume it's the more desirable gearbox for enthusiasts. Three trim levels are available: base, A-Spec, and A-Spec Technology Package.

Pricing begins at $30,800 and increases to a very reasonable $35,800. The 2023 Acura Integra is currently for sale in dealerships nationwide.