The sixth-generation Honda Prelude is confirmed for the UK market. Here’s what we know so far!
Sports coupes aren’t nearly as common as they were in the ’80s and ’90s, but automakers including Honda are giving them a new lease on life with models including the sixth-generation Prelude. After showing off its concept car on the auto show circuit, the automaker announced just ahead of the Goodwood Festival of Speed that the small coupe is getting the nod for production and sale, at least in the UK market.
While the company did not yet commit to a U.S.-market launch, this is a good sign of what’s to come. Honda’s Prelude “concept” hasn’t picked up any major changes apart from the red paint scheme since we last saw it, suggesting that is more or less what will make it to production. While initial reports hinted at the Prelude’s return as a fully electric car, the general consensus these days is that it will, in fact, be a hybrid sports car instead.
On that front, Honda certainly has a capable powertrain for the job. Odds are we’ll see the same 2.0-liter Atkinson cycle engine and electric motors as the new Civic Hybrid as well as the CR-V and the Accord. The most obvious solution also lays out where the Prelude’s power will likely come from: the front wheels. Unlike the Toyota GR 86/Subaru BRZ and Mazda MX-5 Miata, which are all rear-wheel drive, we expect Honda to stick to both the original Prelude’s roots as well as the brand’s current crop of performance-minded models like the Civic Si. It’d be nice to see a little bit more power than the Civic Hybrid’s 200 horsepower and 232 lb-ft of torque for this application, but we’ll have to wait for further details on that front.
Since we are talking about a hybrid system for the 2026 Honda Prelude, I have to mention the elephant in the room (if you’re part of the #savethemanuals crowd, at least): no manual transmission. At least, considering the rest of Honda’s hybrid lineup, it’s extremely unlikely the automaker will switch things up to offer this particular car with a third pedal.
