Civic Type R or Integra Type S? Meanest Acura to date revealed

Having caused a frenzy last year when it revived the Integra nameplate after what had been a 16-year hiatus, Honda’s luxury division, Acura, has now given its sporty sedan more punch in the shape of the Type S powered by the same engine as the Civic Type R.

Due to make its public debut this coming weekend in the United States before going on-sale in June, the Type S has been suitably upgraded from the standard Integra in not only the powertrain department.

What about looking aggressive?

Building on its sibling’s aesthetic, the Type S benefits from a wider track and extended wheel arches to accommodate the model specific 19-inch alloy wheels, a new diffuser with three centrally mounted exhaust outlets, vents behind the wheel arches themselves to aid brake cooling, Type S badges, a new gloss black bootlid spoiler and a unique colour option called Tiger Eye Pearl.

Despite being based on an existing model, Acura has taken matters a step further by equipping the Type S with new body panels in front of the A-pillar that have no relation at all to those used by the standard Integra.

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Bar the exhaust outlets and diffuser, the rear, which remains similar to the iconic Integra DC5 and the Peugeot 406 Coupe, continues otherwise unchanged.

Set-up for one thing

As way of further distancing the Type S from its sibling, Acura has made several adjustments to the chassis, namely increasing the overall length by 51 mm, the width by 71 mm and the height by 25 mm.

In addition, the Type S’ suspension and steering have both been retuned, the front stabiliser bars made thicker and the dampers revised in both Comfort, Sport and Sport+ modes.

As an option, the mentioned 19-inch wheels can be swapped for the same alloys that pays homage to those used by the Honda NSX Type S, wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport 4S rubber.

The final addition is the uprated Brembo brakes that utilise a four-piston aluminium mono-bloc design at the front and single at the rear. Respective disc sizes are 350 mm and 305 mm.

Inside

Inside, the Type S’ interior modifications are more minor than its exterior, and inclusive of perforated heated and cooled front sport seats trimmed in faux suede, a Type S specific gear knob with red stitching, a perforated leather steering wheel and Type S badges embroidered into the headrests.

As for standard equipment, items comprise a 16-speaker ELS 3D sound system, Head-Up Display, a 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster, a nine-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a wireless smartphone charger.

R-rated power

Arguably the biggest talking point is the 2.0-litre turbocharged engine from the Civic Type R that replaces the regular Integra’s 1.5-litre turbo lifted from the North American-market Civic Si.

“Borrowed” directly from the Civic Type R without any changes, the mill produces the same 235kW/420Nm directed to the front wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox.

Similar to the Civic Type R, the Integra Type S doesn’t have an automatic transmission option, but does come with a rev-matching function, plus a limited slip differential. No performance figures were revealed.

South Africa sticking with R

Rumoured to command a starting price of $45 000 (R815 347) when it goes on-sale, the Acura Integra Type S won’t be offered in any other market but the United States, in spite of Honda badges having featured on previous generation in Japan and Europe.

Honda South Africa will, however, be bringing the new Civic Type R to the market reportedly later this month and as mentioned, with the same powertrain.

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