Honda took just about everyone by surprise at the 2023 Japan Mobility Show where it signaled the return of the Prelude. The low-slung sports coupe had all windows blacked out to keep prying eyes from looking inside the cabin. After about a year and a half since the car’s unexpected return, we can finally see the production-intent interior. Predictably, the cabin looks instantly familiar. After all, it’s a Civic coupe with a more exciting name.
No longer a concept, the Prelude has evolved to prototype status. Its dashboard takes after the Civic but without the continuous vent design. You could argue that it has more in common with the Acura Integra, another mechanically related car. While those two have automatic gear levers that stick out from the center console, the new Prelude has buttons instead. Sadly, a manual gearbox is not available.
Photo by: Honda
Photo by: Honda
Speaking of buttons, press S+ to enable the “sharper simulated shifts” of an eight-speed transmission. Drivers can even use paddle shifters, akin to a Hyundai Ioniq 5 N’s artificial gearbox, but only this time, there’s an actual gas engine underneath the hood. According to Honda, “S+ Shift precisely controls the engine rpm during acceleration and deceleration to realize direct drive response and sharp gear shifting.” Oh, and fake sounds pumped through the speakers are also on the menu.
A Japanese YouTuber had early access inside the Prelude, where there are only two rear seats. As the video embedded below shows, the sloping roofline eats into the available headroom, but that’s how the cookie crumbles with coupes. On the plus side, the rear seats fold nearly flat, and the more practical tailgate makes it easy to cram bulkier items in the luggage area. Honda even added a cargo cover you can fold and store underneath the floor.
Behind the quarter glass on the B-pillars, there are tiny hooks to hang clothes. We also notice the two integrated rear headrests and a small storage area between the rear seats. If you need that middle seat, an Integra will be the better option. The two-tone upholstery does spice up the familiar cabin, as does the “Prelude” embroidery on the front headrests and passenger side of the dashboard.
We’ll have to wait for full details about the Prelude’s resurrection. Japanese journalists have reported that it has a slightly shorter wheelbase than a Civic but wider tracks at both axles. Additionally, it borrows the Civic Type R’s adaptive dampers and dual-axis steering front suspension. There’s also a GT mode to nicely balance the usual Comfort and Sport modes.
Although we only see the Prelude with the steering wheel on the wrong side, the car won’t be a JDM-only affair. Honda intends to bring the hybrid coupe to the United States at the end of 2025. Europeans will have to wait until early next year.