2025 Honda Prelude revealed: sporty coupé revived with hybrid power
The Honda Prelude name is revived for a hybrid coupé which is expected to offer as much as 204bhp...
On sale 2026 | Price from £40,000 (est)
If you manage to pause the 2001 car-themed action film The Fast And The Furious just right, you’ll spot a fifth-generation Honda Prelude featured prominently in a pivotal scene.
The inclusion of Honda’s sporty coupé in what has become one of the most successful film franchises in history is no mistake – the Prelude is regarded by modified car fans as one of the finest sporty coupés ever made. And now, 23 years after the last Honda Prelude went off sale, there’s an all-new model on the way.
The new Prelude should have no trouble turning heads, with its swept-back roofline, sculpted bonnet and deep front air intakes helping it to stand out, even against sporty coupé rivals including the BMW 2 Series M240i and Mercedes-AMG CLA 35, and sports cars like the Toyota GR86.
Most technical details around the new Prelude are still under wraps, but officials have confirmed that the new model will be a hybrid. And before saying that Dominic Toretto would turn in his fictional grave, remember that these days being a hybrid isn’t all about green credentials – it can also be about performance.
Indeed, the instant pulling power provided by an electric motor is likely to help the new Prelude feel pleasantly quick, even considering the weight of its hybrid battery. And in keeping with Preludes of the past, the new car is expected to be front-wheel drive as standard, with no four-wheel drive option.
Honda is no stranger to hybrid technology, with the current Honda Jazz small car, Honda Civic family car, and Honda CR-V, HR-V and ZR-V SUVs all getting hybrid power. In the Civic, a 2.0-litre petrol engine works in conjunction with an electric motor to produce a combined 181bhp. Reports have suggested that this setup will be used in the Prelude, with power upped to around 204bhp. For context, the fastest versions of the old Prelude topped out with 197bhp.
Despite being expected to offer a sporty driving experience, Honda officials have already suggested that the Prelude won’t be the most hardcore car in its line-up – that will remain the Honda Civic Type R hot hatchback, which gets 325bhp from its 2.0-litre petrol engine.
We’re yet to see inside the Prelude, but it’s expected to offer seating for five, a low-slung driving position, and similar technology to what you’ll already find in the latest Civic. That means digital instruments, physical controls for the air conditioning, and an infotainment system which should be fairly easy to get along with.
We’d expect the Prelude to be priced as a premium alternative to the Civic, meaning a starting price of around £40,000 is likely. That means the Prelude will cost more than the current GR86, but less than the BMW M240i and Mercedes-AMG CLA 35.
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