The Civic Si is saying goodbye—and it’s taking a manual Acura with it

Published Jul 24, 2026, 8:30 AM EDT Tyler is an automotive journalist and content contributor at How-To Geek with over three years of experience covering the automotive industry. His work focuses on delivering clear, well-researched, and engaging content that helps readers better understand the vehicles they drive and the technology behind them. Before entering automotive media, he spent five years as an academic editor, developing a strong foundation in research methodology, factual accuracy, and structured analysis. This background informs his journalistic approach today, ensuring that every article balances technical insight with accessibility for a broad audience. Tyler specializes in automotive journalism, content strategy, and SEO-driven publishing, with a particular interest in performance, reliability, and the cultural role of cars. He approaches automotive writing with a distinct philosophy: vehicles should be engaging and expressive, not merely functional tools. This perspective shapes his coverage and allows readers to connect with cars beyond basic specifications. Affordable performance cars with manual transmissions have become increasingly rare, as stricter emissions regulations and changing consumer preferences continue to reshape the market. For enthusiasts, every discontinued three-pedal model feels like another reminder that the golden age of accessible sports sedans is slowly fading. That trend appears to be continuing, with Honda confirming plans to pause production of one of its most beloved enthusiast models. The decision doesn't just affect a single badge, either; it also has implications for another affordable performance car that shares the same turbocharged engine and six-speed manual transmission. In order to give you the most up-to-date and accurate information possible, the data used to compile this article was sourced from Honda websites and other authoritative sources, including CarBuzz. Honda has hit pause on Civic Si production It's all about the manual transmission The Honda Civic Si is one of our favorite cars on the market, and we're sure that a lot of driving enthusiasts will agree with us. It is cheap, practical, and a ton of fun behind the wheel. However, news has come to light that Honda has decided to halt production of the fun little compact car, and it has a lot to do with its manual transmission. Production pauses at the end of the current model year Honda sent out a notification to workers at Honda's plant in Alliston, Ontario, which is where all Civic Si and sedan models are built for the U.S. market. The notification states: "due to evolving business conditions surrounding EPA regulations required to certify 2027 MY and beyond, Honda has made the decision to pause the production of trims that utilize the 1.5-liter turbocharged engine paired to the 6-speed manual transmission (6MT) at the conclusion of the 2026 model year." CarBuzz reached out to Honda and confirmed the details of this notice. Despite a ton of rollbacks on emissions standards across the United States, it seems that the manual transmission is a problem for the Japanese automaker. This notice obviously affects the Honda Civic Si, which exclusively makes use of the 1.5-liter turbo-four and manual combo, but it would also hit Acura Integra models equipped with the six-speed. Honda assures that fans of the models have no need to worry The future of the models is still bright Credit: Acura While this news might feel quite grim, there is a silver lining. The Japanese automaker was pretty optimistic in their remarks to CarBuzz. They may have pushed pause on these models, but there is a plan in place for the future. Both models are expected to make a return Production of the Civic Si will be paused at the end of the 2026 model year. While we don't quite know when the end of the model year will be, Honda assures that they have enough inventory to last into early 2027, so there shouldn't be any shortage. This assumes, of course, that the news of the production pause isn't going to incite some panic buying. As well as this, Honda claims that this isn't the end of the Civic Si or the Integra. Honda and Acura currently plan for both of the affordable enthusiast-focused compact cars to return to the American market. They have stated that they will share more details at a later date. This kind of break has happened before Credit: Honda The Civic Si was introduced to the U.S. market 40 years ago, and since then it has taken a couple of breaks. It was missing from the market for a couple of model years, with the nameplate missing from the market for the 1988, 1996, 1999, 2016, and 2021 model years. However, we are waiting for the 12th generation of the base Civic to arrive, which we expect to be announced in the next couple of months. With that model only expected to hit the market in 2028, we may have to wait for the new Civic to launch before we can expect the return of the Si. We're still quite sad to see the current Civic Si go It was a blue-collar hero Front 3/4 shot of a 2022 Honda Civic SiCredit: Honda While the future of the Civic Si isn't totally bleak, it still makes us a little melancholic about the announcement of this pause. There is a large chance that when the Civic Si does return, it will take a different form. With emissions regulations around the world changing, and more automakers shifting away from enthusiast-focused cars, we're not totally optimistic that it will be the same sleek, manual-shifting compact car that it is today. It was a sporty, practical car for the masses Base Trim Engine 1.5L I4 ICE Base Trim Transmission 6-speed manual Base Trim Drivetrain Front-Wheel Drive Base Trim Horsepower 200 HP @6000 RPM Base Trim Torque 192 lb.-ft. @ 1800 RPM Base Trim Fuel Economy (city/highway/combined) 27/37/31 MPG Base Trim Battery Type Lead acid battery Make Honda Model Civic Si Sedan The Civic Si may not be the quickest or the most powerful car out there, but it prioritizes fun in a way that few other models do. With a starting price of $31,495, it is also extremely affordable. There are few cars that balance practicality, affordability, and excitement in the way that the Si does. We hope that when it does make a return, that Honda sticks to the pillars that have made the current iteration such a hit. The latest hit against those that love to shift manually Both the Civic Si and the Integra with the six-speed are among a small group of affordable cars with a manual transmission. While we still have some time with them, the news that production is being halted is quite grim for enthusiasts. Though, there are still a couple of options out there, and we expect that Hyundai will be celebrating, with the sleek Elantra N losing a strong competitor.