Integra Sedan

Make
Acura
Segment
Sedan

Last week, Acura revealed the all-new Integra. We've had a look around the new car and found that it has a load of outstanding features and looks brilliant in any color but yellow, but not everybody agrees with its design and philosophy. Some people intensely dislike the styling, and while a manual gearbox is available at a hefty premium, a continuously variable transmission is standard. Still, at least it powers the front wheels alone, but we weren't so sure that this would be the case. A screenshot, allegedly taken from an Acura dealership last month, claimed that Honda's Super Handling-All Wheel Drive (SH-AWD) system would be coming as an option. But now The Drive has received an email confirming that only one axle will be powered.

Following the full reveal of the Integra, many were quick to pore over the press material in search of confirmation that the rumored AWD system would be fitted, but The Drive reached out to the brand on Thursday and got a written response to the question, which reads as follows: "The 5th-generation Integra will be front-wheel drive only. We are not discussing any future plans at this time, but excited for Integra's production reveal today."

While Acura's response may seem clear, the fact that the spokesperson felt the need to mention "future plans" suggests that the conversation is at least being had, and the possibility of AWD, however slim, still remains.

Of course, there will be those who are quick to point out that, with just 200 horsepower, the Integra probably wouldn't do very well with the added weight of a system that drives both axles. Then again, the SH-AWD system is one of the best out there, and who's to say that the Type S version won't be getting a switchable AWD system? Sure, such things are typically the reserve of rear-driven vehicles, but if the option to disconnect one axle exists as a means of unlocking more fun from a rear-wheel-drive car, why could one not have the benefits of AWD and the unique experience of FWD in one package too? Unlikely as it is, we wouldn't write it off entirely.

Unfortunately, the 2023 Acura Integra has been met with lukewarm responses to its styling while passionate outcries followed the news of its standard gearbox. With no AWD system to truly set it apart, one can't help but think that this truly is just a posh Honda Civic.