2026 Honda Prelude Is a 200-HP Hybrid Hatchback That Fakes Shifts

Honda’s reborn two-door also has hardware from the racy Civic Type R, but the front-drive Prelude fancies itself a grand tourer.By Eric StaffordPublished: Sep 4, 2025

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Watch: 2026 Honda Prelude Revealed!

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• The 2026 Honda Prelude returns as a hybrid-only hatchback, albeit with no manual option, and it shares some parts with the racy Honda Civic Type R.
• The Prelude’s 200-hp front-wheel-drive powertrain is identical to the Civic Hybrid’s, but the two-door model introduces a fake-shifting feature.
• Slated to go on sale sometime this fall, the well-equipped Prelude will likely be priced around $42K.

UPDATE 9/4/25, 10:30 p.m.: A Honda spokesperson told Car and Driver that the Prelude sold in the Japanese market will be priced at the equivalent of roughly $41,700. That suggests the model sold in the United States will have a similar price tag, meaning the Prelude will be more expensive than our original mid-$30K estimate.

Coupes are an endangered species, and the front-wheel-drive variety is virtually extinct. Honda was once a purveyor of affordable and fun front-drive coupes, but a lack of demand and the onset of the invasive species known as crossover SUVs led to them being killed off. But like a zombie movie reboot, the brand is raising one of its most popular two-door cars from the dead, though the Honda Prelude’s comeback comes with controversial twists.

Prelude Redux

It’s been about 25 years since a new Prelude shone on a Honda showroom floor, where it was sold alongside the lesser Civic coupe and the more adult Accord coupe, which were phased out after the 2017 and 2020 model years, respectively. The Prelude was axed well before that, with the fifth-generation car’s fizzling sales leading to a final run for 2001.

View Exterior PhotosHonda

Flash forward to the 2023 Tokyo auto show, where Honda revealed a Prelude concept that received lots of fanfare and ultimately looked pretty much identical to the production car shown in these photos. Other than a long hood, short decklid, and two doors, the new six-generation Prelude doesn’t really resemble its predecessors—or any other current Hondas for that matter. In fact, it might take a Jerry Springer paternity test to prove the Prelude shares DNA with the boxy Civic family versus the bodacious Toyota Prius. That’s not a backhanded compliment either, because we think the new Prius looks damn good.

For the first time, the Prelude shares a platform with the Civic, and the new ‘Lude has also traded its traditional trunk for a rear hatch. However, Honda disguised its technical body style so well that most people will call it a coupe. No harm, no foul. The rest of the design is sleek, albeit subdued. The Prelude’s front headlights feature wing-like elements, while its full-width taillights, surrounded by black trim, reinforce the Prius connection. An antenna built into the rear glass and flush door handles further promote its aero-friendly bodywork. And while the roof can be painted black when paired with the new Winter Frost Pearl, a sunroof—once a Prelude trademark—is conspicuously absent.

View Exterior PhotosHonda

It’s easier to appreciate the Prelude’s proportions in person. It’s lower and wider than your cousin’s run-of-the-mill Civic, and its flared fenders compensate for front and rear tracks that are as wide as the hardcore Civic Type R. The CTR and the Prelude also share other hardware, including adaptive dampers and dual-axis front struts (Honda’s innovative front-suspension setup that basically eliminates torque steer). The Prelude inherits the CTR’s robust Brembo brakes too; 13.8-inch front rotors are pinched by four-piston monoblock calipers painted a Prelude-specific blue. A set of black 19-inch wheels is standard, but they can be swapped for a machine-finished quartet. Grippier summer tires are also available. Despite the track-proven hardware, Honda says the Prelude is a grand tourer rather than a racer.

Hybrid Only, No Manual

Honda has become a hybrid evangelist, and it’s only offering the Prelude with a gas-electric powertrain. It’s a decision that’s sure to stir up controversy, including among the Car and Driver staff, some of whom are wary of the second coming of the ill-fated CR-Z. Unlike Honda’s last two-door hybrid hatchback, however, the new Prelude won’t offer three pedals. Will a hybrid-only, manual-less “coupe” turn more people off than on? Only time will tell.

View Exterior PhotosHonda

For open-minded readers who are just excited that a Radwood-era icon has returned, let’s talk about what’s under the hood. The Prelude’s hybrid powertrain pairs two electric motors with a gas-fed Atkinson-cycle 2.0-liter four-cylinder. Spoiler alert: It’s the same setup found in the Civic hybrid; both models make 200 horsepower and 232 pound-feet of torque. The Prelude faithful will note that the new car’s peak horsepower rating is the same as its 25-year-old predecessor, which featured a high-revving VTEC four-pot. Still, torque has comparatively skyrocketed by 76 pound-feet. The new Prelude’s fuel economy should see a similarly significant spike. Honda hasn’t yet released EPA ratings, but if the hybrid Civic is anything to go by, the Prelude could flirt with 50 mpg combined.

Unlike some other hybrids, the Prelude doesn’t have a syrupy CVT. Instead, it features Honda’s direct-drive gearbox that mimics traditional gearchanges by manipulating the engine’s rpm to rise and fall like many of us are accustomed to. Paddle shifters let the driver control the fakery, and Honda has also introduced a new feature that takes things a step further. Called “S+ Shift,” it provides a more aggressive shifting simulation by pretending to hold gears, match revs, and blip the throttle on downshifts. It’s too early to say whether it will be entertaining or annoying, but haters can avoid using it, so there’s that.

A Ritzier Civic

The Prelude’s interior might be one of the nicest that Honda has to offer. It pairs attractive materials with desirable tech, such as a standard 10.2-inch digital gauge cluster. It’s the same size as other Civics, but the Prelude has a different interface. There’s a wider selection of display layouts, including one with a large tach. It’s a nice touch because the Civic’s setup feels lackluster when it comes to this type of customization. After all, isn’t that the point of digital gauges?

View Interior PhotosHonda

An eight-speaker Bose sound system is also standard, and it operates through a 9.0-inch touchscreen on the dash. The infotainment system features Google built-in software as well as wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. There’s a place to charge your smartphone without wires too, and we’re thankful for the physical volume knob and HVAC controls. The push-button shifter is something we’ll continue to push back on.

The Prelude’s leather front seats aren’t found in any other Honda. Available in black or with distinctive white-and-blue upholstery, the seats have a houndstooth pattern and headrests built into the seatbacks. The cushions are heated but (sadly) not ventilated. Interestingly, the seats are asymmetrically bolstered. This is the first time Honda has done this, giving the driver more support and the front passenger more comfort.

View PhotosHonda

View PhotosHonda

For those relegated to the rear seats, Honda says there’s 32 inches of legroom back there. That’s about two inches more than the rear-drive Toyota GR86, but it’s about five inches less than the Civic hatchback. And speaking of hatches, there’s a decent amount of space under the Prelude’s rear liftback, especially when you fold the back seats flat. We don’t know the exact cargo volume, but there’s clearly enough room to fit large items like golf bags.

Put aside the nostalgic discrepancies, and the 2026 Honda Prelude looks to fill a niche that’s void of any direct competition. It just remains to be seen if there’s an audience with an appetite for a two-door, front-drive hatchback with the heart of a hybrid Civic and parts from a race-bred one. Interest, or lack thereof, may come down to pricing.

Honda hasn’t said exactly how much the U.S.-spec Prelude will cost, but we’re told the Japanese model will start at roughly $41,700. That suggests the one sold on our shores will have a similar price tag, which is higher than the mid-$30,000 range that was initially predicted. We should have an official U.S. price sometime before the 2026 Prelude goes on sale later this fall, so stay tuned.

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2026 Honda Prelude Is a Sporty Hybrid Coupe Worth Waiting For

An iconic Honda nameplate will return for the 2026 model year, and the Prelude coupe will pack a hybrid powertrain when it goes on sale late this year.By Austin ParsonsPublished: Jan 24, 2025Save Article

View PhotosHonda

What It Is

Sporty Hondas are typically worth waiting for, especially the ones with enduring nameplates. While we haven’t seen a new Prelude in nearly 25 years, its sixth generation—expected to arrive in late 2025— is poised to revive the Honda sports coupe.

Why It Matters

We haven’t seen a performance-focused Honda two-door in decades, ever since the Prelude and S2000 were discontinued in the 2000s. The Prelude’s previous generations were lauded for offering excellent handling at an attainable price—even winning our 1997 best-handling test for cars under $30,000. A modern Prelude that retains those same values is tantalizing, especially in a market that offers increasingly fewer fun, yet affordable cars.

Platform

While Honda hasn’t released any information about the platform that the new Prelude will use, shared underpinnings with either the Accord or the Civic would make the most sense. Like the Preludes of the past, we expect the new car to be front-wheel drive, although all-wheel drive is also a possibility.KGP Photography|Car and Driver

Powertrain

One of the few things that we know for sure about the Prelude is that it will feature a two-motor hybrid powertrain. It will most likely use the same—or a similar— 2.0-liter four-cylinder hybrid setup found in the Accord, Civic, and CR-V. Given that those other hybrids use a direct-drive system in place of a traditional transmission to deliver power to the ground, the Prelude probably won’t come with a manual. Shame.

Competition

It’s easier to point out the cars that the Prelude isn’t likely to compete with—the Civic Type R, the Integra Type S, the Toyota Supra, and the Nissan Z. While the Prelude probably won’t provide the same unadulterated driving experience as the Subaru BRZ or Toyota GR86, those are its two most natural competitors.

What Might Go Wrong

Honda large project chief engineer Tomoyuki Yamagami has said that the new Prelude “isn’t going to be the sportiest, zippiest car that’s going to be tossed into the circuits.” We just hope that isn’t an understatement.

Estimated Arrival and Price

The new Prelude will enter production and reach the U.S. market in late 2025, likely as a 2026 model. Pricing will likely start at just over $30,000.

SEE ALL THE CARS WORTH WAITING FOR

More on the Prelude

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2026 Honda Prelude Inches Closer to Production in New Spy Photos

A camouflaged Prelude prototype has been caught testing in Germany, and it looks almost identical to the concept.By Eric StaffordPublished: Oct 17, 2024Save Article

KGP Photography

• New spy photos show a 2026 Honda Prelude prototype testing on public roads.
• The camouflaged coupe looks almost identical to the stylish concept car.
• Honda has confirmed the new Prelude, which features a hybrid powertrain, will first go on sale as early as next year in Europe.

With every passing day, we get closer to the new Honda Prelude entering production. Of course, the anticipation is easier to deal with every time there’s something new to report. The latest comes after a prototype Prelude was caught testing on public roads in Germany.KGP Photography|Car and Driver

The stylish Prelude concept looked near-production ready when it was revealed last fall. So it’s not really a surprise that the camouflaged coupe our spy photographer saw looks almost identical to the concept. The prototype might be covered in a blue wrap that’s designed to be distracting, but we can clearly see the Prelude’s curvy shape, its narrow grille that flows into the headlights, and the dramatically sloping rear roofline. Even the black multispoke wheels look like the ones that appeared on the concept.KGP Photography|Car and Driver

Other than that it’s inching closer to production, what do these spy shots tell us about the new Prelude? Not much. However, we already know that it will feature a hybrid powertrain. While the thought of a new Prelude with three pedals is nice in theory, we don’t expect Honda to retool its hybrid system to be compatible with a manual transmission.

Either way, we’re just happy the storied nameplate will be returning to the streets. It’s unclear when that will be in the United States, but Honda has confirmed the Prelude could go on sale as early as next year in Europe.

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