2026 Honda Prelude: Reborn hybrid sports coupe detailed ahead of Australian launch

The Honda Prelude is returning over 24 years later for a sixth generation, and we now know more about the revived sports coupe.

It goes on sale in Japan today, ahead of an Australian launch midway through 2026. In markets such as Japan and the US, it’ll be offered in a single variant.

It’s still front-wheel drive and powered by a four-cylinder engine, like every other generation of Prelude, but it features a hybrid system.

Honda says it uses the same chassis as the Civic Type R, but it produces quite a bit less power than that hot hatch.

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A 2.0-litre Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder engine, makes 104kW of power at 6000rpm and 182Nm of torque at 4500rpm, is mated with Honda’s two-motor hybrid system.

The electric drive motor produces 133kW at 5000-6000rpm and 315Nm at 0-2000rpm.

All up, there’s total system power of 147kW of power and 315Nm of torque, compared with 235kW/420Nm in the Civic Type R powered by 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine.

There’s no mechanical transmission in the Prelude. Instead Honda has incorporated what it calls S+ Shift, which emulates an eight-speed automatic transmission by offering the same “sharp gear shifting feel” you’d experience with a traditional automatic.

You can also use paddle shifters to change between the simulated gears, while the S+ Shift system will hold gears and also features rev-matching via downshift ‘throttle’ blips.

To make up for the lack of noise (or the lack of pleasant noises) you get with many hybrids, Honda has incorporated Active Sound Control which is said to produce a “powerful engine sound in sync with engine RPM”.

Honda is touting its new Prelude as a driver’s car with responsive steering, excellent handling, linear braking feel and a rigid driveshaft that suppresses torque steer, delivering an “engaging grand touring experience” and comfortable commuting.

It features Honda Agile Handling Assist, which is said to improve steering responsiveness and stability during cornering plus “seamless line-tracing from turn-in to corner exit” through “integrated control of the powertrain and braking system in accordance with the driver’s steering operation”.

Drivers can choose between four drive modes: Comfort, GT, Sport and Individual.

The feel of Honda S+ Shift control varies between drive modes, while Individual mode allows the driver to toggle between different settings for the powertrain, steering, suspension and engine sound, as well as the adaptive cruise control and instrument cluster layout.

The Prelude features ‘dual-axis’ strut front suspension with multi-link rear suspension, as well as adaptive dampers borrowed from the Civic Type R but retuned for the Prelude.

It rides on 19-inch alloy wheels shod with 235/40R19 tyres, and it features Brembo four-piston front brakes borrowed from the Civic Type R.

The Prelude measures 4531mm long, 1880mm wide and 1356mm tall, and rides a 2606mm wheelbase. That means it’s actually 14mm shorter than the fifth-generation model, albeit 130mm wider and 41mm taller.

Honda has yet to confirm how much the Prelude weighs, though we’d expect it to be heftier than the coupe discontinued over two decades ago.

The sleek coupe body features a double-bubble roof and a liftback rear opening. Honda says the cargo area is spacious enough to fit two medium-size suitcases; Honda of America quotes 428L of cargo space.

This can also be expanded by dropping the 60:40-split folding rear seat back, allowing you to fit a pair of surfboards.

Under the boot floor is a storage compartment, as well as a cargo floor board that can be folded and positioned to divide the front and rear part of the boot.

Slim LED headlights feature adaptive high-beam and active cornering lights.

Blue is the theme in the Prelude. There are blue accents on the lower part of the front and rear bumpers, as well as blue brake calipers and an available Boost Blue Pearl exterior paint finish.

Inside, there’s a 2+2-seat configuration and a choice of a black interior or one featuring two-tone blue and white for the front seats and dashboard.

Leatherette upholstery with a “cloud-like” texture wraps the centre console and lower dash, while the seats are leather-trimmed.

Ahead of the driver is a flat-bottom, leather-wrapped steering wheel and alloy paddle shifters, behind which sits a 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster.

Perched atop the dash is a 9.0-inch infotainment touchscreen running Google Built-in and incorporating embedded Google apps like Google Maps, with more available to download via the Google Play Store.

There’s also wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as an eight-speaker sound system jointly engineered by Honda and Bose for the Prelude.

Honda says the driver’s sports seat is shaped to hold the driver firmly in place, while the passenger seat is a bit less aggressively bolstered but is claimed to have “just the right amount of feeling of being enveloped”.

The front sports seats feature integrated head restraints and heating, as well as a perforated houndstooth pattern.

There’s a full range of safety equipment, including:

• Autonomous emergency braking (AEB)
• Adaptive cruise control with low-speed follow
• Blind-spot monitoring
• Lane-keep assist
• Rear cross-traffic alert
• Traffic Jam Assist
• Traffic sign recognition
• Unintended acceleration mitigation

Honda expects to sell just 300 Preludes per month in Japan, where it’s priced at ¥6,179,800 (~A$63,900), which is the same price as a Honda Civic Type R Racing Black Package.

The Prelude will be offered in a limited range of colours: red, a pearl white available with a black roof, Crystal Black Pearl, and a metallic grey. In the US, there’s also the aforementioned Boost Blue Pearl.

It’s the third time Honda has brought black one of its classic coupe nameplates. The Integra nameplate was revived for a Chinese-built version of the Civic, as well as a unique (though still Civic-based) entry-level model for Honda’s luxury Acura brand.

But the Prelude’s revival more closely mirrors that of the CR-Z, a revival of the CR-X which entered production in 2010. It continued to feature front-wheel drive and four-cylinder power, but like the Prelude it had a hybrid powertrain.

Unlike the Prelude, it was available with a six-speed manual transmission.

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