The Honda Prelude has been spotted in its production body for the first time revealing close similarities to the prototype shown 12 months ago.
The revived Honda Prelude – a hybrid rival to the Toyota GR86, Subaru BRZ and Mazda MX-5 – has been spied in its showroom form for the first time.
Expected to launch in the second half of 2026 – including in right-hand drive for Australia, Japan and the United Kingdom – the Honda Prelude looks almost identical to the prototype concept unveiled at the 2023 Tokyo motor show.
Compared to the Prelude concept, the production version has smaller wheels, larger side mirrors, a different rear spoiler, changes to the pop-out door handle design, and a visible exhaust pipe.
Under the bonnet, the coupe will feature a four-cylinder petrol engine with an electric motor integrated into the automatic transmission like the Civic, Accord, ZR-V and CR-V hybrid models.
It is expected to ride on the same front-wheel-drive architecture as the Civic, sharing its 2.0-litre petrol-electric hybrid setup.
While the Civic hybrid develops 135kW and 315Nm – and the Accord sedan and CR-V SUV bump torque to 335Nm – reports from Japan suggest the Prelude could output around 154kW.
The Toyota GR86 and Subaru BRZ twins have a 2.4-litre non-turbo boxer engine with 174kW/250Nm while the Mazda MX-5 uses a 135kW/205Nm 2.0-litre non-turbo unit.
A sub-seven-second 0-100km/h acceleration time is expected for the Prelude based on the seven-to-eight-second time for the Civic E:HEV hybrid.
“We are diligently progressing with development. Please keep your expectations high for this model,” Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe said on stage at the Tokyo motor show in October 2023.
Japanese publication Best Car speculates the Prelude could start from around 4.2 million yen, translating to approximately $AU42,000.
Based on the difference between other Honda vehicles in Australia compared to Japan, the Prelude could start from around $55,000 drive-away if it becomes available in local showrooms.
In Australia, the Honda Prelude was sold across five generations between 1979 and 2001 with the third-generation model introducing the world’s first four-wheel-steering system.
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