2026 Honda Prelude Review

There is no hiding my excitement when I know a sport coupe will be arriving in my driveway. Even more so when it's a nameplate making its return after 25 years - and one that was a Finalist for North American Car Of The Year. Yes, I'm talking about none other than the hybrid-electric only 2026 Honda Prelude - a vehicle Honda describes as a "Grand Touring Sports Coupe".  It's available essentially as one trim - but with a choice of a single exterior color or a two-tone with a black roof.

Exterior

The Prelude is one sporty looking ride - and I do dare say it reminds me of a Porsche from the tail end, which yes, would be my favorite part about the exterior design along with the 19-inch Berlina Black alloy wheels.

My review coupe makes no apologies for its absence in a bright, sporty Blue Boost hue.  Its outfitted with all-season tires and large four-piston Brembo aluminum front brake calipers in a matching blue.

Exterior features include LED headlights and daytime running lights, flush door handles, full-width taillights, and heated power door mirrors.

Performance

The 6th-generation Prelude is Honda's first vehicle to pair the automaker's two-motor hybrid powertrain with high-performance chassis hardware from the Civic Type R.  

The Type R part sounds great. However, the problem with the Prelude as it currently equipped under the hood is that no true driver enthusiast is going to be too hyped up about the hybrid engine's 200 horsepower and albeit better-sounding 232 pound-feet of torque. This said, its shared Civic Type R components - a dual-axis strut front suspension and adaptive dampers uniquely tuned for the Prelude - do give it superb, fun to drive handling. So I'm left holding a mixed bag of emotions when it comes to power vs overall driving dynamics.

The Prelude has also historically introduced new tech to the brand. To that end the new Prelude debuts Honda S+ Shift,  a feature designed to get drivers more engaged since the Prelude's hybrid powertrain doesn't have a traditional transmission. Honda S+ Shift is designed to simulate gear shifts with rev-matched downshifts via the steering wheel paddles, while also amping up the engine sound, sort of, anyway.  Trying it out, it changes the tachometer and shows RPMs on the digital driver display, but it didn't provide the sports car driving engagement I was hoping for despite the hype. But I applaud the attempt at innovation nonetheless.

Interior      

The blue and white leather-trimmed driver centric cabin is fantastic- pairing premium soft touch materials with a sporty vibe. What a great color combo, too. High-contrast blue stitching pairs with the blue accents on the exterior and I love the blue Prelude inscription on the passenger side of the suede-like lower dash.

Leather-trimmed side-bolstered front sport seats with terrific integrated head restraints feature a perforated houndstooth pattern.  They're comfortable, and look and feel great, and also feature three-level heating. No power seats though. The driver's seat is 6-way manually adjusting, the passenger's 4-way. 

A leather-wrapped flat-bottom sports steering wheel is equipped with aluminum paddle shifters for the S+ Shift system.  A 10.2 inch digital driver display features nice bright graphics and well-displayed info.

Honda's familiar 9-inch HD touchscreen features its multimedia system with Google/Alexa Built-In, HD Radio, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and an 8-speaker Bose sound system.

A well-done center console is where you find the shift-by-wire transmission along with the S+ Shift button, drive mode select, electronic parking brake and auto brake hold.

The 60/40 back seat misses out on the premium seating in lieu of plain black cloth seats.  It's also what you'd expect for a coupe - too small for adults, and while I did squeeze myself back there I wouldn't recommend it. Headroom does not exist back there due to the coupe's sloping roofline.  On the plus side, that same design gives you impressive room in the cargo area.

Standard features include sport pedals, dual-zone climate, rearview camera, wireless charging, available WiFi hotspot, 2 USB-C ports, 12 volt, power windows, floor mat, cargo LED light, and seat back pockets.

Safety       

The Prelude is equipped with Honda Sensing - a suite of advanced driver assistance tech that includes things like adaptive cruise control, collision mitigation braking, lane keeping assist, road departure mitigation and traffic jam assist. It's also equipped with Blind Spot Information with Rear Cross Traffic Monitor, rear seat reminder and seat-belt reminder along with front and rear parking sensors.

Ride and Drive

While more power is on my wishlist - I have to admit, the Prelude feels better acceleration wise than its horsepower number suggests - thanks to the torque from the hybrid's electric motors. 

It's also inarguably a fun-to-drive daily driver - or as Honda would say "Grand Touring sports coupe" with a smooth ride, if on the noisy side.  Its handling is responsive, its steering precise -  leaving no question of its Civic Type R chassis components.  Four driving modes include Comfort, GT, Sport and Individual.  Fuel economy is of course a selling point of any hybrid, and the Prelude delivers 44 mpg combined. 

Verdict

I love that the Honda Prelude is back - because the road needs more two-door coupes. While there is a lot to like about the 6th-generation model, especially the exterior, interior and handling, it's going to be hard to sell sports coupe fans on the new Prelude at its current price point, given its powertrain, even with the Type R components. But I can envision a future where Honda adds a Type S, and then it's game on.