Honda Prelude

Overview

WHEN a car maker decides to reuse or revive a classic nameplate from its back catalogue, the result can be a blessing or a curse for whatever vehicle it’s applied to depending on execution.

Enthusiasts had plenty to say about the Mk5 Supra’s BMW DNA when Toyota decided to revive its iconic sports car nameplate and when Ford bestowed the Mustang moniker onto its battery electric Mach-E SUV.

Conversely, you could cite the Fiat 500 and Volkswagen Beetle’s revivals in the 2000s as case studies in capitalising on widespread nostalgia.

Honda is clearly willing to take advantage of historic brand equity and face potential pressure from enthusiasts with its 2026 Prelude.

Of course, the Japanese brand is no stranger to this strategy, having revived the NSX mid-engined supercar, which lasted from 2016 to 2022.

The first-generation Honda Prelude was introduced in late-1978, while the fifth-generation model was discontinued in 2001.

During its initial 23-year existence, the Prelude gained a reputation for being a technology leader for Honda.

For example, the first-generation model was the first Honda to offer an electric sunroof, the second debuted anti-lock brakes for the brand, the third was the first mass-produced car ever to feature active four-wheel steering, while the fifth generation brought with it an ATTS (Active Torque Transfer System).

So what does the sixth-generation Honda Prelude bring to the table?

Priced at $65,000 drive away, the Prelude finds itself sandwiched between entry-level sports cars like the Mazda MX-5 ($42,640 - $56,790 + ORCs) and the Toyota GR86 ($43,940 - $46,090 + ORCs) and more powerful six and eight cylinder models like the Nissan Z ($76,160 - $94,065 + ORCs) and V8-powered Ford Mustang ($84,990 - $93,666 + ORCs, not including the Dark Horse variants), although it still undercuts the four-cylinder Ecoboost model ($72,990 + ORCs) in the case of the latter.

Crucially, the Prelude is the only sub-$90,000 sports car offered in Australia with a hybrid powertrain.

Within Honda’s line-up, the Prelude is pitched as an everyday sports car, rather than an out-and-out performance weapon like the Japanese marque’s other halo car: the Civic Type R.

Specifically, it’s powered by Honda’s e:HEV powertrain, comprising a 2.0-litre four cylinder engine, a two-motor hybrid system, and an eCVT transmission, powering the front wheels.

Honda quotes power and torque figures of 135kW and 315Nm – allowing for a 0-100km/h dash of 8.2 seconds –  and a combined fuel consumption of 4.3 litres per 100km.

You’ll find the same powertrain with identical power and torque outputs in the base Civic and hybrid variants of the ZR-V.

However, the new Prelude debuts Honda’s new S+ Shift mode – pitched as this generation model’s innovative feature – which uses its paddle shifters (also used to manage regen’ levels) to replicate the shifting experience of an eight-speed transmission.

While the powertrain itself is of pedestrian origins its underpinnings are decidedly less so, sharing its dual-axis strut front suspension setup, adaptive dampers and four-piston Brembo brake callipers with the Civic Type-R.

Exterior features include LED headlights, tail-lights and daytime running lights, 19-inch black alloy wheels wearing Continental PremiumContact 6 tyres, piano-black B-pillars, heated and electrically adjustable and retracting door mirrors, flush door handles, and two-speed automatic rain-sensing wipers.

Inside, there's a nine-inch infotainment touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and Google Built-In services, a 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster, a wireless phone charger, two USB-C ports, a 2+2 seating arrangement, leather front seats, a six-way manually adjustable driver’s seat, a four-way manually adjustable passenger’s seat, alloy pedals, ambient lighting, and an eight-speaker Bose sound system.

The driver can also select ‘Comfort’, ‘GT’, ‘Sport’, and ‘Individual’ drive modes on top of S+ Shift mode.

Safety features include 10 airbags, adaptive cruise control with low-speed follow, forward collision warning, collision mitigation braking, post-collision braking, front and rear parking sensors, a reversing camera, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, traffic jam assist, traffic sign recognition, and rear cross traffic alert. The Prelude is yet to receive a star rating from ANCAP.

Boot space is quoted at 264 litres with the rear seats up, and 663 litres with the rear seats down to the window (760 litres to the roof).

A spare wheel is not offered for the Prelude and it is instead offered with a tyre repair kit.

The Prelude comes with a five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty, an eight-year battery module warranty, a six-year rust perforation warranty, and five years of roadside assist.

Five low price services are also offered as standard with the Honda Prelude, each priced at $199. Service intervals are every 12 months or 10,000km.

Furthermore, provided that servicing is completed regularly at a Honda Servicing Centre, the Prelude is eligible for the Honda Extend program, extending the warranty and roadside assist for an additional three years.

Driving Impressions

Aesthetically, there is a very little family resemblance between the sixth generation Prelude and its forebears. For instance, the new Prelude’s silhouette is very different to any previous model in its lineage, adopting a sleek, sloping roof line as opposed to the notchback design of its predecessors.

However, unlike many new cars, it hasn’t grown substantially compared to earlier iterations. Compared to the fifth generation it is the new car is 130mm wider and 40mm taller, but is actually 23mm shorter in length.

It looks small too as the new model doesn’t appear to dwarf even a first-gen Prelude when parked next to it.

The design is wonderfully simple and gets a lot correct proportionally. It’s sleek and pretty rather than deliberately striking.

Those with an appreciation for physical buttons will likely greatly appreciate the Prelude’s cabin.

Physical implements include a conventional HVAC control panel complete with fan speed and temperature dials, controls on the dashboard for drive mode selections, a selection of steering wheel controls, and ‘Home’, ‘Back’, and media track selection as well as a physical media volume dial to assist in interacting with the infotainment touchscreen,

Speaking of which, the touchscreen is simple and easy to navigate – aided by the aforementioned physical buttons – however it perhaps isn’t the crispest looking display we’ve ever interacted with. The same could also be said for the digital instrument cluster.

The immediate physical touchpoints feel of reasonable quality, if not plushest or the most luxurious. For instance, the door card uppers feel a little polystyrene-adjacent and not all that expensive. However, the metal paddle shifters are certainly a pleasant touch.

Overall, the cabin quality feels robust and well put together. Touch or prod any surface and it won’t flex too much or emit any undue creaks.

There’s also a helpful selection of charging and storage amenities in the cockpit, including two USB-C ports and a 12V socket, a wireless phone charger nestled in the dashboard, a modest centre console armrest container, two cupholders, and doorbin storage large enough for a small water bottle.

The front seats are supportive, comfortable, and well-bolstered, perfect for a car of this type. One might notice the lack of ventilation and electric adjustability, but we’ll excuse it, as its cheaper main rivals – such as the Toyota GR86, Subaru BRZ, and Mazda MX-5 – are not equipped with either feature.

Forward visibility is good, so is visibility directly out of the rear window, however visibility over your shoulder is a little limited on account of the Prelude’s thick B-pillars and small rear side windows.

The Prelude is able to deliver on the “everyday sports car” brief, with surprising levels of practicality to boot.

Speaking of the boot, look at the Prelude from the rear and one might think its load area hatch is nothing more than a small flap. However, the entire back window lifts up when the boot is opened, revealing a fairly wide, easily accessible load area, especially with the rear seats folded down.

The rear seats themselves will likely be suitable only for small children, or very, very short trips for adults. Headroom in the second row for adults is virtually non-existent, but thankfully there’s enough space for your feet underneath the seat in front and the backs of those seats have enough give to accommodate your knees.

Unsurprisingly, the driving experience of the Prelude takes centre stage.

We drove the 2026 Honda Prelude out from Adelaide’s city centre into the twisting roads just outside of South Australia’s capital.

Around town, with the drive mode set to ‘Comfort’, the Prelude’s ride is soft but not underdamped. Allow the adaptive cruise control to do most of the heavy lifting in traffic and it works as expected. Lane centring interventions are also light yet appropriate.

The Prelude does seem to suffer from a bit of tyre noise, even at relatively low speeds, detracting from an otherwise refined daily driving experience.

When the going gets twisty and the GT or Sport modes are engaged, the Prelude really comes into its stride.

The steering is precise and direct, and coupled with a sharp front end and an abundance of grip, the Prelude feels agile and confidence inspiring. It takes a lot to unsettle it, and it makes attacking a winding road easy at whatever speed you feel comfortable with.

However, we found the steering slightly lacking in road texture feedback. More information about the road surface coupled with its impressive precision would allow for a more engaging experience.

While both the front-wheel drive hybrid powertrain’s origins and outputs are humble, we never found ourselves wanting more.

Its responsiveness and ample potency paired with a highly capable chassis allows the Prelude to deliver usable performance in the real world. On the right road, it's enjoyable without its driver finding themselves on the wrong side of the law.

Our rather spirited drive from Adelaide’s city centre and through the twisting backroads of the hills yielded a fuel number of 8.0 litres per 100km, although it remains to be seen what kind of efficiency can be recorded in more realistic daily driving.

As previously mentioned, the Prelude’s paddle shifters can be used either to adjust regen’ settings or to interact with the S+ Shift mode, the latter activated by the press of a button on the centre console.

There are seven levels of regen’ to choose from, with short pulls of the paddles temporarily increasing or decreasing the regen’ while pulling and holding the paddle will allow the driver to select a fixed regen’ level of their choosing.

The S+ Shift mode – while seeming conceptually gimmicky before you’ve experienced it – replicates the shifting experience of  an eight-speed transmission with uncanny levels of accuracy and is quite enjoyable to use. In fact, we often found ourselves forgetting momentarily that it wasn’t actually real.

Ultimately, the sixth generation Prelude lives up to the innovative reputation of its predecessors. However, this isn’t necessarily just due to the S+ Shift mode despite Honda praising it as its headline feature.

Honda has brought an attractive, surprisingly practical, enjoyable-to-drive hybrid offering to a segment in which a HEV wasn’t previously offered.

It leverages its Type-R derived chassis to deliver and experience more exciting than its pedestrian-sourced powertrain might suggest on paper, all while still being usable on a daily basis.

We believe that the new Honda Prelude is a worthy successor to its predecessor and that, given the chance, enthusiasts will appreciate what it has to offer.