Disappointed. So everyone feels about the new Honda prelude from 2026, which is supposed to compete for the Toyota Gr86 and Mazda Miata when they arrive in exhibition rooms. We all saw for weeks before it was officially started and we were still in a state of rejection when Honda confirmed what was already known. No manual option and only hybrid. The pricing was the only wildcard, and then it was announced that the prelude would start with a tear remuneration of 40,000 US dollars. Could a vehicle be unveiled? Honda may be in its own league in terms of unsatisfactory enthusiasts.
But is everything bad? Maybe I am trying to find a silver strip, not as depressed as everyone else. Frustrated? Yes. To be honest, this is not a prelude, nowhere nearby. Honda tries to detract nostalgia in the hope that it will pull back on the heart cords of car lovers by bringing back an iconic name. I do not want to call it a “money grip” because there may be no money based on the current sediment, but it feels a little dirty when you call this good -looking coupé as an audition. And that’s my biggest problem with this car.
It is a Honda Civic Coupé based on the same platform and divides the same drive train and has a very similar interior apart from some minor aesthetic changes that really represent an improvement. Starting with the good, the Prelude will produce a 2-liter hybrid 4-cylinder engine with 200 hp and 232 LB foot torque, and maybe a little tempting is the S+ Schift system with paddle slide and faux-rev-matching to give a feeling of explanation. This sloping rear also contains suspension components from the Civic Type R, so that at least on paper you look at a sports coupé that should process and cut a better Civic hybrid than the Civic hybrid last year. Another bright spot is Honda’s hybrid system, which will probably be extremely efficient that I know that it is not a metric enthusiast.
The bad for the prelude is not necessarily the lack of a manual transmission. Volkswagen dropped the manual for the GTI last year, so Honda does not block the trend here. It is the fact that 1) this coupé is in no way a GR86 fighter or a sports car fighter and 2) for what it is, it is unacceptably expensive. A price tag of 40,000 US dollars for which a Civic Hybrid Coupé is basically absurd, and this leads me back to Honda to benefit from nostalgia.
Admittedly, the prelude is a good looking car with its falling front end and the full LED light stick for the rear fascia. In a way, it looks like a modern CR-Z that would have been a more reasonable type of type, but I wander off. Then hop in and are welcomed by Hondas Signature Closy Dashboard design with a 10.2 -inch -digital Kluster and a 9 -inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. The uniquely designed seats with contrast sutures and optimized center console, which contains parts of other Honda and Acura models, are highlighted in the interior of the foreplace. In fact, I would go so far as to say that the prelude has an inviting cockpit that should be appeased even the most stubborn buyers.
If Honda really wanted to distinguish this coupé in the line -up, they did not go far enough to differentiate this new type sign from the others. It is bad enough, there is no manual and it is extremely difficult to see how high its promise of value is. By basically covering the interior of the civics with a unique and sporty exterior, there is simply nothing special or unforgettable, and it is not good enough to be successful with established competitors such as Miata and GR86.
There is a lot to like here on the foreplay, but the Price sign of 40,000 US dollars, which could and should be a cool, fun and efficient coupé that urgently needs new models in this mix.
