The 2026 Integra Type S is a joyful little rocket, deceptively disguised as a four-door sedan. You’ll think its powerful turbo four-cylinder engine is a 6, and its 6-speed manual transmission is one of the most butter-soft this side of the MX-5.
What’s new for 2026?
The changes from 2025 are minimal, but significant. For 2026 the Integra A-Spec gets a noticeable visual and tech bump – new aero body kit, gloss-black 18s, expanded color choices (including Double Apex Blue, Urban Gray and Solar Silver), and interior trim upgrades — blue accents on Orchid, bold yellow stitching on Ebony, plus a new metallic dash film. Certain exterior colors now get color-matched grilles, and Acura expands personalization with 40+ accessories.
The big functional change is the previously optional 9-inch touchscreen — with wireless CarPlay/Android Auto and wireless charging — is now standard across all trims. Sticker? $39,200 base, and $40,995 with destination and handling and the $600 optional platinum white they offer.
Looks
The car’s frameless Diamond Pentagon Grille is handsomely aggressive and the unique and sporty liftback design delivers that sleek, snappy flavor you want in your little sedan. You’ve got large, goodlooking Brembo brakes and a unique exhaust system with three tough-looking center-mounted exhaust pipes. My A-Spec package brought me “A-Spec Exclusive” styling, 18″ alloy wheels, all-season tires, LED Fog Lights, a rear decklid spoiler, sport pedals and an Aero Kit.
Engine
There’s just one engine available – a 320-hp turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four making 310 pound-feet of torque. A six-speed manual transmission and front-wheel drive with a limited-slip differential come with. The Integra Type S is EPA-rated for a pretty-good 26 mpg city and 36 mpg highway.
Inside
It’s comfortable to sit in and to drive, and visibility in heavy traffic is more than satisfactory. The shift is especially attractive and fits well in the hand. Rear passengers get a little center armrest. It’s tight back there if you’re a big/tall human, but trunk-wise you get 24 cubic feet of cargo room when you pop the hatch. I carried around a full-sized new bicycle lying flat in a box in the rear by putting the seats down.
Tech
A head-up display is standard as is a 9.0-inch infotainment touchscreen. You also get a wireless smartphone charging pad, 5.3-inch head-up display and two USB ports. A bespoke – for Acura – 16-speaker, 530-watt ELS Studio 3D premium audio system sound suitably rockin’. The system linked lickety-split with my phone. The climate system blew with appropriate gusto.
The drive
If you like shifts, you’ll get along with this one – it’s a buttery dream. It took the bit of while to find the sweet spot – that stretch of open road where you smash and kill it from a dead stop. I felt my front tires go pip-pip-pip a few times around town with quick acceleration, not all the time, just enough so I hesitated to really explode off the line. Getting up to speed and beyond wasn’t a problem at all. A slam of the brakes produced a quick stop, twice. It’s nothing but fun. You won’t wish it was a 6-cylinder.
Safety and warranty
A plethora of driver-assistance features come standard including automated emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane-keeping assist and adaptive cruise control. For more information about the Integra’s crash-test results, visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) websites.
Acura offers a longer powertrain warranty than most of its competitors, thus a Limited warranty covers four years or 50,000 miles, the Powertrain warranty covers six years or 70,000 miles, and complimentary scheduled maintenance is covered for two years or 24,000 miles.
Conclusion: The price is reasonable for what you get, the car looks great and the drive is fun, so the 2026 Acura A-Spec gets a great big thumbs-up.