The official announcement of the Honda Prelude's return to North America was considered a mere formality, not least because the model has already been shown at auto shows on the New Continent.
Honda has now confirmed the car's return to its North American lineup towards the end of 2025, certainly as a 2026 model.
The coupe will be offered in hybrid configuration, as seen in the concept that first appeared at the Tokyo Motor Show in 2023.
Design of the 2026 Honda Prelude
As for the model's styling, the versions seen on test show that the appearance of the production version will be very similar to that of the concept shown at auto shows. This is standard procedure for Honda, the concepts of which generally are already very close to production-ready.
A legendary name thus returns to active duty with the Japanese automaker’s lineup. The first Prelude appeared in Japan in 1978. In all, it survived for five generations.
Powertrain of the 2026 Honda Prelude
Barring any major surprises, the Prelude’s powertrain will be a variant of Honda's two-motor hybrid system, the same as in the latest Civic hybrid introduced this year. Under the hood of Honda's popular compact sedan, it develops 220 hp via a 2.0L 4-cylinder engine.
A continuously variable transmission should provide the link to the front wheels.
What's likely to be different is a function called Honda S+ Shift, a driving mode designed to deliver a simulated gearshift that's likely to convey more emotion to the driver. It remains to be seen.
What the model lacks, and what will cause many buyers to turn their backs on it, is that it cannot be delivered with a manual gearbox. A real mistake, in our humble opinion.
And yes, the marriage between the hybrid system and the manual gearbox is possible. Honda proved this in 2011 with its CR-Z, which featured a 6-speed manual gearbox.
We'll be back with more details about the next Honda Prelude closer to the model’s North American launch.
