- Civic Type R and Integra Type S get minor facelifts for next model year.
- Prelude S-Shift system reaches Civic Hybrid, expands to more hybrids soon.
- Honda and Acura boost cheaper trims, but no new model variants planned.
Honda’s 2026 news dump looks like a plate of tapas, but one bite-sized piece of news stands out, and it’s that the Civic Type R, and its close cousin, the Integra Type S, are getting facelifts this year.
Honda already told us the Type R costs $1,000 more this year, pushing the price up to $48,090 including destination. For the facelifts, it promises “exterior and interior styling changes” for both the Type R and S to keep them fresh, though with no images available, we can only guess as to what those tweaks might be. Honda also mentions nothing about upgrades for the 315 hp (319 PS) 2.0-liter engine.
Related: Honda’s 2026 Pilot Didn’t Change Much, But The Price Sure Did
The updates are part of a brand-wide focus on value that also results in the new Prelude coupe’s S-Shift simulated transmission making an appearance on the mechanically similar Civic Hybrid later this year. Honda adds that the system will appear in more hybrid models further down the line.
How Honda Plans to Keep Costs in Check
That value push matters because prices everywhere feel like they are floating away, the average new-car transaction price now topping $50,000. Honda is contributing to that rise, but also says it will build more affordable trims of the CR V, Civic, and Accord, and Acura will do the same for the ADX and Integra.
While that might sound like an expansion of the lineup, it isn’t. When we asked Honda to clarify, the company responded, “No, we will not create entirely new trims for the lineup. We will increase volume of existing, lower-priced, non-hybrid trims (for example, LX and Sport trims).”
Honda’s facelifted (and more expensive) MY26 Pilot has already arrived at US dealers with its new face, bigger touchscreen, quieter cabin, and improved steering, but Acura fans will have to wait a few more months to see some even bigger arrivals in their favorite brand’s stores.
First Acura-built EV
The big news is the debut of the new RSX electrified SUV (seen below in yellow), which lands in the second half of the year and is the first of the automaker’s EVs to be built at its Marysville Auto Plant in Ohio, alongside gas and hybrid vehicles. The ZDX EV that was dropped in 2025 was built by GM in Tennessee along with other GM Ultium models, like the Chevy Blazer.
Also: Acura Drops Current RDX, But Teases New Model That Won’t Arrive For Years
Acura is also planning some updates for the MDX once summer is out of the way, meaning they’ll make their entrance on MY27 vehicles, possibly just after the brand retires its long-running RDX. The RDX badge has been around since 2006, and the current model dates to 2018, but it’s due to be replaced by a new bi-motor hybrid that won’t be ready for a couple of years.
