Honda’s North American luxury division Acura is about to do something it hasn’t done in the 40 years since it was founded: sell cars in Japan.
As a part of a new trade deal between the US and Japan, Acura is set to sell the Integra Type S – its own more luxurious version of the Honda Civic Type R – in Japanese Honda showrooms.
While the Civic Type R is produced in Japan, the Integra Type S is exclusively made in the US, specifically in the factory in Ohio which built the second-generation Honda/Acura NSX.
It will be joined in Japan by another US-built Honda product, the Passport TrailSport Elite, a rugged-looking SUV made in Alabama.
In the case of the Acura Integra Type S, the incoming-to-Japan liftback is almost mechanically identical to the Civic Type R, with its 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine making 239kW (up 4kW) and 420Nm, driving the front wheels through a six-speed manual transmission and mechanical limited-slip differential.
Also standard are wide 265mm section tyres and big four-piston Brembo brakes at the front, though the Integra Type S dials back the theatre of the Civic Type R by swapping a big rear wing for a smaller lip spoiler.
The interior too represents a step back from the full-blown sportiness of the Honda, with more comfort-oriented leather seats and a wider range of colour options.
Though this all sounds like a promising recipe for success in Japan, the more understated Acura won’t sell in great numbers due to one important factor: it won’t be produced in right-hand drive.
Despite being sold in the right-hand drive market of Japan, Acura – or more specifically in the context of the trade deal, Honda – won’t make the mass production changes to convert the Integra Type S from left- to right-hand drive.
This of course means it continues to be a non-starter for Australia, where left-hand drive vehicles cannot be registered, unlike Japan and even the United Kingdom.
The same situation applies to the Honda Passport, which too is left-hand drive only.
As reported last week, Honda Australia has been struggling to match demand for the Civic Type R, with a fresh shipment of cars arriving last week, resulting in a price increase to $85,500 drive-away, a huge $12,900 increase on when it launched in Australia back in 2023.
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