2026 Honda Prelude: Reborn hybrid sports activities coupe detailed forward of Australian launch
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The Honda Prelude is returning over 24 years later for a sixth technology, and we now know extra in regards to the revived sports activities coupe.
It goes on sale in Japan in the present day, forward of an Australian launch halfway by 2026. In markets reminiscent of Japan and the US, it’ll be supplied in a single variant.
It’s nonetheless front-wheel drive and powered by a four-cylinder engine, like each different technology of Prelude, but it surely incorporates a hybrid system.
Honda says it makes use of the identical chassis because the Civic Kind R, but it surely produces fairly a bit much less energy than that scorching hatch.
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A 2.0-litre Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder engine, makes 104kW of energy at 6000rpm and 182Nm of torque at 4500rpm, is mated with Honda’s two-motor hybrid system.
The electrical drive motor produces 133kW at 5000-6000rpm and 315Nm at 0-2000rpm.
All up, there’s whole system energy of 147kW of energy and 315Nm of torque, in contrast with 235kW/420Nm within the Civic Kind R powered by 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine.
There’s no mechanical transmission within the Prelude. As an alternative Honda has integrated what it calls S+ Shift, which emulates an eight-speed automated transmission by providing the identical “sharp gear shifting really feel” you’d expertise with a standard automated.
You can too use paddle shifters to vary between the simulated gears, whereas the S+ Shift system will maintain gears and likewise options rev-matching by way of downshift ‘throttle’ blips.
To make up for the shortage of noise (or the shortage of nice noises) you get with many hybrids, Honda has integrated Lively Sound Management which is alleged to supply a “highly effective engine sound in sync with engine RPM”.
Honda is touting its new Prelude as a driver’s automobile with responsive steering, wonderful dealing with, linear braking really feel and a inflexible driveshaft that suppresses torque steer, delivering an “participating grand touring expertise” and cozy commuting.
It options Honda Agile Dealing with Help, which is alleged to enhance steering responsiveness and stability throughout cornering plus “seamless line-tracing from turn-in to nook exit” by “built-in management of the powertrain and braking system in accordance with the motive force’s steering operation”.
Drivers can select between 4 drive modes: Consolation, GT, Sport and Particular person.
The texture of Honda S+ Shift management varies between drive modes, whereas Particular person mode permits the motive force to toggle between completely different settings for the powertrain, steering, suspension and engine sound, in addition to the adaptive cruise management and instrument cluster format.
The Prelude options ‘dual-axis’ strut entrance suspension with multi-link rear suspension, in addition to adaptive dampers borrowed from the Civic Kind R however retuned for the Prelude.
It rides on 19-inch alloy wheels shod with 235/40R19 tyres, and it options Brembo four-piston entrance brakes borrowed from the Civic Kind R.
The Prelude measures 4531mm lengthy, 1880mm huge and 1356mm tall, and rides a 2606mm wheelbase. Which means it’s truly 14mm shorter than the fifth-generation mannequin, albeit 130mm wider and 41mm taller.
Honda has but to verify how a lot the Prelude weighs, although we’d anticipate it to be heftier than the coupe discontinued over 20 years in the past.
The smooth coupe physique incorporates a double-bubble roof and a liftback rear opening. Honda says the cargo space is spacious sufficient to suit two medium-size suitcases; Honda of America quotes 428L of cargo area.
This will also be expanded by dropping the 60:40-split folding rear seat again, permitting you to suit a pair of surfboards.
Below the boot flooring is a storage compartment, in addition to a cargo flooring board that may be folded and positioned to divide the entrance and rear a part of the boot.
Slim LED headlights characteristic adaptive high-beam and energetic cornering lights.
Blue is the theme within the Prelude. There are blue accents on the decrease a part of the entrance and rear bumpers, in addition to blue brake calipers and an obtainable Enhance Blue Pearl exterior paint end.
Inside, there’s a 2+2-seat configuration and a alternative of a black inside or one that includes two-tone blue and white for the entrance seats and dashboard.
Leatherette upholstery with a “cloud-like” texture wraps the centre console and decrease sprint, whereas the seats are leather-trimmed.
Forward of the motive force is a flat-bottom, leather-wrapped steering wheel and alloy paddle shifters, behind which sits a ten.2-inch digital instrument cluster.
Perched atop the sprint is a 9.0-inch infotainment touchscreen working Google Constructed-in and incorporating embedded Google apps like Google Maps, with extra obtainable to obtain by way of the Google Play Retailer.
There’s additionally wi-fi Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, in addition to an eight-speaker sound system collectively engineered by Honda and Bose for the Prelude.
Honda says the motive force’s sports activities seat is formed to carry the motive force firmly in place, whereas the passenger seat is a bit much less aggressively bolstered however is claimed to have “simply the correct amount of feeling of being enveloped”.
The entrance sports activities seats characteristic built-in head restraints and heating, in addition to a perforated houndstooth sample.
There’s a full vary of security tools, together with:
- Autonomous emergency braking (AEB)
- Adaptive cruise management with low-speed comply with
- Blind-spot monitoring
- Lane-keep help
- Rear cross-traffic alert
- Visitors Jam Help
- Visitors signal recognition
- Unintended acceleration mitigation
Honda expects to promote simply 300 Preludes per thirty days in Japan, the place it’s priced at ¥6,179,800 (~A$63,900), which is similar value as a Honda Civic Kind R Racing Black Bundle.
The Prelude can be supplied in a restricted vary of colors: crimson, a pearl white obtainable with a black roof, Crystal Black Pearl, and a metallic gray. Within the US, there’s additionally the aforementioned Enhance Blue Pearl.
It’s the third time Honda has introduced black one in all its traditional coupe nameplates. The Integra nameplate was revived for a Chinese language-built model of the Civic, in addition to a singular (although nonetheless Civic-based) entry-level mannequin for Honda’s luxurious Acura model.
However the Prelude’s revival extra carefully mirrors that of the CR-Z, a revival of the CR-X which entered manufacturing in 2010. It continued to characteristic front-wheel drive and four-cylinder energy, however just like the Prelude it had a hybrid powertrain.
Not like the Prelude, it was obtainable with a six-speed guide transmission.
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