Evaluation: The 2026 Honda Prelude Is A Hybrid That’s Really Enjoyable To Drive

At the 2023 Japan Mobility Show (JMS), Honda dropped a significant shock on the world. Sitting there on the stand was a compact, white coupe, and it had a badge we hadn’t seen in additional than 20 years – Prelude! Details had been scarce at first on what the automaker was calling an idea, however when it confirmed up on the LA Auto Show a number of weeks later, Honda confirmed it was a hybrid.

Then, in 2024, Honda confirmed that sure certainly, it could be produced. Japanese prospects began taking supply in September 2025, and the primary examples for American prospects are due on November 18. In the times following the 2025 JMS, Honda took us to its Tochigi proving floor in Japan for a primary style.

It’s 2025, so in fact meaning some individuals had been disgruntled once they heard the 2026, sixth-generation Prelude was going to be a hybrid. But let me simply say – Get Over Yourself! Going again to the 5 earlier generations of Prelude from 1978 to 2001, this was by no means a hardcore sports activities automotive.

It was a sporty coupe that added a splash of two-door fashion and generally some attention-grabbing know-how to underpinnings that had been shared with extra mainstream Honda merchandise, typically variations of the modern Accord.

Speaking of know-how, all Preludes have had four-cylinder engines, with the primary technology mannequin having a CVCC engine primarily based on the Civic, whereas the fourth-generation in 1991 received one of many first VTEC engines. The third technology launched a novel mechanical four-wheel steering system.

For those that whine in regards to the lack of pop-up headlamps, the vast majority of classic Preludes by no means had them both. Only the second and third generations hid their lamps when not in use, the entire others had mounted models so the brand new automotive is in good firm.

Given the regular progress of just about all automobiles from one technology to the subsequent, it makes good sense that the Prelude would shift from the now giant Accord underpinnings to the Civic. Even the Civic has grown considerably over the previous a number of many years, with the present hatchback measuring 179 inches lengthy over a 107.7-inch wheelbase. The Prelude loses about half an inch of size and 5.1 inches of wheelbase. The prime of the roof is 2.3 inches decrease than the Civic, whereas the Prelude can also be 3.1 inches wider.

Altogether, this provides the Prelude a notably totally different stance than the now-discontinued coupe model of the last-generation Civic relative to its sedan and hatchback siblings. With its sharper nostril and fastback roofline, the styling can also be markedly totally different from a Civic.

Another vital differentiator from the final Civic coupe is cargo entry, with the Prelude getting a hatchback as an alternative of a trunk. This is useful because the Prelude solely has 15.1-cubic toes of cargo quantity behind the rear seats. But that misplaced wheelbase, roof top, and the profile imply that the Prelude rear seat is absolutely solely of any worth for youngsters or these beneath about 5-foot-5-inches (if that!). This could be very a lot a 2+2. But since most Prelude house owners will most likely simply be utilizing the entrance seats more often than not, leaving the rears folded down combines with the massive hatch opening to offer some severe utility when trolling property gross sales.

Anyone who has hung out within the current-generation Civic will really feel proper at house within the Prelude. Apart from the steering wheel and shifter buttons, nearly each different seen floor of the cockpit is exclusive, and but there’s a familiarity that comes from sharing the an identical mounting factors and nearly definitely the identical wiring harness. The vents and buttons are all in the identical place, and sure, the vents are absolutely manually managed with slightly joystick within the heart of every one to direct the air circulate.

The 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster is identical, as is the 9-inch touchscreen infotainment show used within the Touring trims of the Civic. The infotainment software program is identical Android Automotive setup with Google Built-in providers that you just’ll discover in different present Honda fashions.

One component you gained’t discover in any present Civic is the S+ button to the suitable of the shifter on the console, however I’ll come again to that in a bit.

Same substances, totally different dish

Under the hood of the Prelude is identical two-motor hybrid drive unit paired with a 2.0-liter, naturally aspirated, Atkinson cycle four-cylinder that you just’ll discover in a Civic, Accord, or CR-V. On paper it doesn’t appear essentially totally different from what you’ll discover powering any present transverse engine Toyota. The engine can produce 141-hp and 134 lb-ft of torque, which has similarities to what you’ll get in most engines of this specification. The major electrical motor cranks out 181-hp and 232 lb-ft of torque.

The mixed system output is 200-hp. The 2.0-liter hybrid association in a Prius has 194-hp however solely will get 111-hp of electrical propulsion. This totally different mix, together with a distinct management philosophy and the Honda engine, offers Honda’s hybrid system a essentially totally different character from a Toyota.

Toyota engines are objectively wonderful – they’re dependable and environment friendly, and with correct upkeep will typically run nearly perpetually. But they’re, to say the least, agricultural-sounding. Normally, this wouldn’t be the worst factor on this planet. But step on the accelerator pedal of any front-wheel drive Toyota hybrid and the engine revs as much as the 4,000 rpm torque peak and sits there whereas the e-CVT adjusts its ratio till the automotive catches up. It is to place it bluntly, not a really nice expertise, environment friendly sure, however annoying.

Honda begins from a spot of way more refined-sounding engines after which makes use of them very cleverly because of some considerate software program management and variations in how the hybrid drive works. To start with, the considerably increased energy and torque of the Honda electrical drive permit it to turn into the first supply of thrust more often than not.

How the Honda 2-Motor Hybrid Works

Both the Toyota and Honda hybrids are sequence/parallel drives, however the Honda appears to spend extra of its time in sequence mode, the place the engine is driving the secondary motor/generator unit to offer electrical energy to the first and battery. Thus, it’s typically not working as laborious.

This additionally permits Honda to manage the engine largely independently of the tractive effort that the first motor/generator is making use of to the wheels. Thus, the system is working successfully as a range-extended EV with the entire advantages that come from electrical drive.

Let’s step again and take a extra particular have a look at how the Honda hybrid drive works. The total structure is a bit totally different than different hybrids, though it comprises components of what we’ve seen earlier than. At its core, there are two motor/generator models (MGU), the Atkinson cycle engine, battery, clutch, and the ultimate drive gearing. Both MGUs are related to the battery, with one performing simply as a generator whereas the opposite serves as a traction motor to propel the automobile.

The engine is related to the generator and likewise to the clutch. The traction motor and the clutch are related to the ultimate drive. There are three fundamental modes: EV, Hybrid, and Engine driving. In EV mode, the clutch is open and the engine is off with the traction motor driving the automobile. During braking, the traction motor additionally acts as a generator for regenerative braking.

As the battery cost is depleted, the engine begins and drives the generator solely with the clutch open. In this hybrid mode, the system principally works like Nissan’s e-Power system, a purely sequence hybrid the place the engine runs to cost the battery, however the automotive remains to be simply pushed electrically with no engine torque being fed to the wheels. The Chevrolet Volt additionally labored similarly, though it had a a lot bigger battery that offered 35 to 50 miles of electrical vary.

The draw back of a sequence hybrid system is that there are conversion losses in going from mechanical torque to electrical vitality for the battery after which again the opposite manner by way of the traction motor. At decrease speeds and variable hundreds, similar to stopping and accelerating, the inherent inefficiencies of an inside combustion engine are nonetheless outweighed by these losses, so there’s a internet profit. At increased speeds and cargo situations, similar to driving on the freeway, it reverses, and it truly turns into extra environment friendly for the engine to drive the wheels. This is when the clutch closes and sends energy straight from the engine to the ultimate drive and the traction motor principally stops powering the automobile, though it nonetheless recovers vitality throughout deceleration.

To summarize, the engine is generally decoupled from the wheels when driving certainly one of these Honda hybrid methods, which implies it may be managed independently of the automobile pace. During regular driving, that eliminates the droning of a Toyota hybrid. It can also be a key enabler of S+ shifting.

In commonplace hybrid driving, the engine will rev as much as a extra modest pace than the 4,000 rpm typical of the Toyota hybrids, so it’s not so loud after which rev extra gently as you speed up, doing a few simulated “step shifts” to drop engine pace and convey it again up once more. It does all of this with none sound augmentation, acceleration dips or “downshifts” and makes for fairly a pure and nice driving expertise.

When S+ is pressed, the engine revs speed up extra aggressively because the drive unit steps by way of eight digital gears, and every time it “shifts” there’s the identical momentary pause in acceleration you get when declutching and shifting a handbook gearbox. Hit the brakes as you head towards a nook, and it “downshifts” and blips the throttle to rev match. This all takes place routinely or when utilizing the shift paddles manually on the steering wheel. While all of that is occurring, the sound of the engine is augmented within the cabin.

If all of this sounds acquainted, it’s primarily the identical type of factor that Hyundai does on the Ioniq 5N when N-mode is engaged. Just describing it makes it sound like a foolish gimmick. But driving is a visceral expertise, and a part of the rationale some lovers don’t like EVs is the shortage of suggestions they get about what the equipment is doing. I can personally attest that I believed it was a gimmick when Hyundai did it, and I had a s**t-eating grin on my face once I received out of the Ioniq 5N for the primary time. Gen-Z and Alpha drivers which have by no means skilled an awesome handbook gearbox, combustion automotive could not notice what they’re lacking sooner or later, however these of us sufficiently old to know can actually respect this.

So Is It Any Good?

In a phrase, sure! We didn’t get a number of time with the Prelude at Tochigi; longer drives should wait till the brand new 12 months. But the time we had was on a dealing with observe constructed for bikes. The solar was shining and the climate was a nice 60 levels, good for our activity.

Remember, the Prelude was by no means a hardcore sports activities automotive, the truth is, the primary a number of generations weren’t even gentle efficiency automobiles. This shouldn’t be a successor to the S2000 or perhaps a Civic Type-R (at the least not but!). It is a trendy, compact coupe that takes the entire greatest bits of the Type-R other than the powertrain and merges it with arguably among the finest hybrid methods accessible.

On our first recon lap of the observe in regular drive mode introduced again all the pieces we’ve liked in regards to the final two generations of Civic. As we approached the ultimate nook on that first lap, we hit the S+ button and the automotive actually got here to life. Accelerating down the entrance straight, the sound turned extra participating. It wasn’t the outrageously loud impact you get from the Dodge Charger’s Fratzonic exhaust, or the wail of approaching 9,000 rpm in an S2000, however sufficient to let you already know what’s going on beneath the hood. You also can really feel a number of upshifts because the pace builds.

As you lay into the brakes for a nook, you’ll hear the throttle blip every time the system executes an ideal “downshift.” Sure, it’s a simulacrum of actuality, however it all feels very genuine and completely consistent with what you’d anticipate in the event you put the turbocharged Civic Si engine beneath the hood with a traditional eight-speed automated as an alternative of a CVT. However, an Si-powered Prelude most likely gained’t come wherever close to the anticipated 45+ mpg {that a} hybrid Prelude would, and sure wouldn’t be a lot faster.

Besides the powertrain and the way the software program manages it, the opposite key mechanical facet of the Prelude is the suspension and braking {hardware} that comes straight from the Civic Type-R. The solely change is the spring and damping charges to compensate for the shorter wheelbase and totally different powertrain.

The entrance suspension is a dual-axis system that separates the steering axis from the damping/spring axis. A fork supporting the underside of the strut, permits the steering pivot axis to be moved outward, nearer to the middle of the wheel. This helps to just about get rid of torque steer. With a lot of the tractive effort for the Prelude coming from the MGU and its immediate torque supply, the suspension was clearly doing its job. The steering offered good suggestions about what was happening between the entrance wheels and pavement and felt completely weighted.

In addition, identical to a Type-R, the Prelude responds properly to path braking. It is a Front Wheel Drive automotive, so physics would typically dictate that it’s going to have some understeer whenever you run right into a nook with additional velocity. But in the event you preserve a little bit of brake strain on as you flip in, it retains the burden on the entrance tires and permits the rear finish to slide sufficient to steadiness the automotive by way of the nook. It by no means steps out on you, it’s only a good progressive adjustment to rotation which you can management with the brake pedal.

While the inside parts of the Prelude are principally distinctive, they’re additionally totally acquainted to a Honda driver. That consists of the comfy and supportive entrance seats.

Sadly, I didn’t have almost as a lot time with the brand new Prelude as I’d have appreciated. But the time I had offered a wonderful sampler, and I can’t wait to get again behind the wheel quickly.

The first cargo of 2026 Preludes must be arriving on the West Coast in mid-November, with deliveries beginning on the 18th. Honda hasn’t introduced pricing but for the one trim degree of the Prelude, however at present alternate charges, the Japanese pricing works out to about $41,800 so proper round $42,000 plus supply must be about proper. That value splits the distinction between a Civic Sport Touring Hybrid and the Type-R.

All Photos Sam Abuelsamid until in any other case famous