2026 Honda Prelude confirmed: Coupe returns with hybrid after 25 years, Australia possible – Video
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The Honda Prelude hybrid sports coupe has been confirmed for a global launch in late 2025, around two years after a near-production concept debuted in Japan.
The 2026 Honda Prelude sports coupe has been confirmed for production in around 12 months with a standard hybrid powertrain, 25 years after its predecessor reached the end of the line.
Honda has announced the Prelude will return to the United States in late 2025 with Europe due to follow in early 2026, including the right-hand-drive United Kingdom market – opening the door for Australia.
The Prelude has not been locked in for an Australian launch, with a Honda Australia spokesperson telling Drive it had "no news to share regarding Prelude for our local market at this time".
MORE: 2026 Honda Prelude hybrid coupe spied in production form
The Honda Prelude was sold in Australia across five generations between 1979 and 2001, with the third-generation model introducing the world's first four-wheel-steering system.
Images shared by Honda Europe show what appears to be our first glimpse of the production-ready Prelude, which looks almost identical to the near-production concept shown at the 2023 Tokyo motor show in Japan.
Compared to the Prelude Concept, the production model has larger side mirrors, a different pop-out door handle design, and a smaller rear spoiler.
A video from Japanese YouTuber Enthusiast Car Guideshows the interior of a Prelude prototype with a similar dashboard to the current Civic and Accord, while the test vehicle wears 235/40 R19 Continental PremiumContact 6 tyres.
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The Prelude has been confirmed as the first Honda vehicle to debut the brand's "next-generation" dual-motor E:HEV hybrid system, including a new S+ Shift drive mode "to deliver maximum levels of driver engagement".
The S+ Shift drive mode is said to replicate the sound and feel of mechanical automatic gear changes for the hybrid system's electronic continuously variable transmission (E-CVT), which has no moving parts.
"When Honda S+ Shift is activated, gear shifting can be performed by paddle operation, providing a driving feel as if you were shifting through stepped gears," said Honda in a media release.
MORE: 2025 Honda Prelude may make 154kW, could come to Australia
Honda said the S+ Shift name is inspired by older models including the S600, S2000 and Type S, representing the "joy of driving".
The next-generation E:HEV hybrid system set to debut in the Prelude will be an evolution of the brand's current technology currently available in the HR-V paired to a 1.5-litre engine, and the Civic, Accord, ZR-V and CR-V with a 2.0-litre in Australia.
Combined with a more rigid and lighter "next-generation mid-size platform", Honda claims its newest hybrid system will deliver a 10 per cent fuel efficiency improvement, along with a smaller front drive unit.
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There will be additional part sharing between the 1.5-litre and 2.0-litre versions of its hybrid system to reduce costs, the brand said.
The Prelude will utilise the 2.0-litre version of the hybrid system, which will reportedly output around 154kW in the coupe – compared to 135kW for the current Civic, Accord, ZR-V and CR-V.
More details on the 2026 Honda Prelude will be shared closer to its market launch in the United States and Europe scheduled to commence late next year.
The post 2026 Honda Prelude confirmed: Coupe returns with hybrid after 25 years, Australia possible – Video appeared first on Drive.
