The decade of the 1980s gave us an endless variety of cars, which were parallel to what was available in the rest of the world. Unlike what followed in the 90s & thereafter with local auto assemblers coming into the picture, Pakistan became a haven for obsolete & globally retired cars.
Talking about Honda in particular, while it’s just about Civic & City for most of us today, back in the 80s we had the likes of Accord, Ascot Innova, Concerto as well as the Quint Integra in our market. Though not as common as the Civic but still added to the plenty of options available back then.
The Integra is better known as a more luxurious and sport-oriented derivative of the Civic which was produced between 1985 and 2007. Later in 2021, it was resurrected in China and in North American markets where it’s available as Acura Integra, with Acura being the luxury and performance division of Honda primarily available in North America.
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Honda Integra was originally a successor of the Honda Quint, which was introduced in February 1980 in Japan as a five-door liftback that was more upscale than the Civic. Hence the first-generation Integra was called Quint Integra. It debuted in Japan in February 1985 and was immediately available here as an import.
Being designed as the successor of the Honda Quint, the Integra was closely related to the Civic, although it featured a list of key upgrades over its smaller stablemate to help merit a price increase, such as enlarged 4-wheel disc brakes in place of small front-disc/rear-drum setup used by the Civic, suspension calibration was re-worked, better tires were used and a 1.6L fuel-injected 16-valve engine DOHC engine good for 113hp. While most Civic models in Pakistan were available with 1.2L/ 1.3L engines, the Quint Integra with the aforementioned enhancements was indeed a more powerful and fun-to-drive vehicle.
While it was available in 3-door, 4-door, and 5-door configurations, in Pakistan we got the 4-door sedan & 5-door liftback variants. The Quint Integra was a head-turner due to the presence of pop-up headlamps up front. Apart from a sleek fascia, the rest of the profile and styling was reminiscent of that of the 3rd Gen Accord (CA).
In terms of dimensions, the Quint Integra was a perfect fit between the Civic and Accord. In 1985, the 3rd gen Civic measured 4,166mm long with a 2,451mm wheelbase, whereas the Quint Integra 4,380mm long and a 2,520mm wheelbase, was a tad shorter than the 3rd gen Accord which was 4,549mm long and had a 2,600mm wheelbase.
The interior had a typical 80s Honda styling adorned in blue/ grey colors with ample greenhouse, comfy seats, generous legroom, and a good driving position. There was a 3-spoke steering wheel behind which there were very readable dials, and a tachometer, while the dashboard featured a digital clock, a radio cassette player, an ashtray & cigarette lighter, and a cassette holder at the very bottom.
Nearly 228,000 units were sold during the four-year run of the first-generation model. The Quint Integra was replaced by the second generation model in 1989 which was simply called Honda Integra with the word Quint omitted from the name. The later models of Integra were found here in very limited numbers mainly due to the import restrictions imposed during the early 90s to ‘help’ get the local auto industry to stand on its feet. Still, the 2nd and 3rd gen Integra were considered worthy options among the enthusiasts to spend their money on.
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Today it’s hard to find a Quint Integra in decent condition. Though there were a few examples up for sale on online websites however they were in very sorry condition. Though there are some rare examples where people have done justice to these great cars from the past. Having seen this car in its prime, and a white-colored example owned in the late 1980s by a close fellow of mine, I can vouch that the Quint Integra stood out of the lot with its distinctive styling and was loved for its spacious interior and impressive on-road performance.
Various examples of Honda Quint Integra in Pakistan
A computer animation professional with over 23 years of industry experience having served in leading organizations, TV channels & production facilities in Pakistan. An avid car enthusiast and petrolhead with an affection to deliver quality content to help shape opinions. Formerly written for PakWheels as well as major publications including Dawn. Founder of CarSpiritPK.com
