Honda is quietly preparing the return of the Prelude coupe, a bold move considering that most manufacturers are abandoning this segment. Fans approve.
Honda has yet to confirm any North American plans, though it did show the car in concept form at the 2023 Los Angeles Auto Show last November. That it made the trip across the Pacific gives some indication that the automaker is at least considering launching the model here as well.
This week, as part of activities surrounding the Goodwood Festival of Speed, which gets underway on Thursday in England, the Prelude is being presented for the first time in Europe. Honda has confirmed it will bring the model to market in the U.K. The production version 2026 Prelude will launch there next year.
That announcement came with new images showing the car for the first time in red, a sharp contrast with the earlier concept’s white garb.
Honda hasn't confirmed anything about the car's powertrain, but it did say last fall that the Prelude concept was equipped with a hybrid configuration. The production version could well be powered by the same 2.0L 4-cylinder engine found in the hybrid versions of the CR-V, Accord and Civic models.
That powertrain offers 204 hp, and we don't expect any more than that. Tomoyuki Yamagami, the project's chief engineer, told Australian website CarsGuide in 2023 that the Prelude would not be the fastest sports car. Rather, we're talking about a competitor to the Subaru BRZ and Toyota GR86, which come only with a gas engine.
The big difference is that the Prelude will be front-wheel-drive, unlike the other two, which are rear-wheel-drive.
Of course, we'll be keeping a close eye on the model's presentation in the U.K., especially to see if any new information about it will be announced.
