burlapp car

2026 Honda Prelude.

By  •  Published:  •  Last updated:

We have seen the new Honda Prelude so much in the past year that it doesn’t look that new anymore. Even if it’s not yet on sale. The version above is the official US trim. Which is the exact same car I saw at the Los Angeles Auto Show back in November 2023. Almost 2 years ago!

The new Prelude is basically a rebirth of the Honda Civic Coupe with the same powertrain as the Civic Hybrid. With the whole thing made a bit sportier thanks to a new “S+” CVT that mimics manual shifting.

In the US, there will only be one trim. That will include:

  • New Honda S+ Shift system
  • Leather-trimmed front sport seats with perforated houndstooth pattern, integrated head restraints, and three-way heating
  • 19-inch machine-finished Berlina Black wheels
  • 235/40R19 tires
  • Brembo™ four-piston aluminum front calipers (shared with Civic Type R), finished in unique Prelude Blue
  • Dual-axis strut front suspension (shared with Civic Type R)
  • Adaptive Dampers (shared with Civic Type R, uniquely tuned for Prelude)
  • Four driving modes: Comfort, GT, Sport, and Individual
  • Leather-wrapped flat-bottom steering wheel with alloy shift paddles
  • Sport pedals
  • 2+2 Seating with 60/40 split fold-down rear seat
  • 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster
  • 9-inch HD touchscreen with Google built-in
  • Wireless Apple CarPlay & Android Auto™ compatibility
  • WiFi Hotspot capability
  • Wireless phone charger
  • 8-speaker Bose Centerpoint premium sound system
  • Honda Sensing® suite of safety and driver-assistive technologies
  • Post-Collision Braking System (PCB)
  • Blind spot information with Rear Cross Traffic Alert

All that stuff makes the new Prelude a closer cousin to the Acura Integra than the Civic Hybrid. It will also probably be much more expensive than the Civic. The Civic Hybrid Touring already starts at around $34,000. My guess is the Prelude will probably be a few $1000s over that. And closer to $40,000.

The Civic Hybrid is a pleasure to drive. However, that design is getting very old very fast. At least the prelude looks much more modern. But that high price will not help. Especially in a world where almost no one is considering a 2-door coupe as their next purchase…

Conversation 3 comments

  1. I really think Honda is slipping into irrelevance. I’m glad they produced a Prelude. But let’s just get real… who’s gonna buy this thing? The interior is TINY. It lacks a lot of features for whatever they’re going to sell it for. But more than anything, its derivative (of a Camry/Prius (nose), a Porsche Boxster (tail), and of every Honda currently being made (interior). And we know its gonna be $40k+ (its already been announced at $41 in Japan, where its made).
    Its like they’re in some kind of fever dream they can’t wake up from.

  2. So the Civic based Insight and Coupe replacement while also serving as a base Integra Hybrid Coupe.

    Actually Prelude is quite the compromise in naming convention after thinking about it.

  3. thinking that every car has to be ‘smashed-to-the-ground aero’ is what’s killing the Accord and now this Prelude. Put a trunk on it. Give the backseat some headroom. Give the Prelude and the Integra a form that we recognize. I never see Honda concerned about that in a CRV. Cars dont always have to become penalty boxes, but that’s what they have become.

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *