Honda has officially announced that the beloved Prelude will be returning to production in a hybrid form. So far only confirmed for the European market, this news follows Honda’s announcement to the media in Tokyo that the Prelude will be a global model made in both left and right-hand drive configurations. The concept version will be unveiled for the first time at Goodwood Festival of Speed this month.
Initially believed to be a pure EV, the stylish coupe is a hybrid. While Honda hasn’t been too forthcoming with information thus far, the car is expected to carry the European Civic’s e: HEV hybrid powertrain for that market. The setup combines a 2.0-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine with a pair of electric motors to provide 181 horsepower. It also remains unclear which transmissions will be paired with the said powertrain.
In an interview with carwow, Honda Chief Engineer, Tomoyuki Yamagami hinted that this car will be more about the driving experience than outright power. He stated, “The performance will not be defined by specification, torque or top speed, these are just numbers on a piece of paper that do not represent and reflect the dynamic feeling to the driver. Honda is also developing battery-electric vehicles – our ultimate goal for 2040 is to have a fully carbon-neutral lineup.”
“However, in our current path of transition, we also wanted to demonstrate that Honda has not forgotten about the most important part of our DNA, which is the pleasure of driving. For the concept Prelude we have considered many other kinds of propulsion systems, however, it was quite clear that the two-motor hybrid system we have at the moment is the most suitable in terms of packaging and capability. We wanted to have a full four-seater with sufficient luggage space, while still enabling a low centre of gravity. All of these aspects were in favor of a hybrid powertrain.”
In an interview with Autocar, Honda CEO, Toshihiro Mibe stated that the new Prelude is intended to “embody Honda’s unalterable sports mindset” with a driver-focused chassis and engine set-up. Honda suggests that it will serve as a halo product for its line-up of electrified models. Honda has also promised it will be a four-seater, but judging by the swoopy roofline, we are realistically expecting a 2+2 cabin.
While the Civic is host to several powertrains, leaving the possibility open for a more hardcore Prelude variant. There’s even some heritage to lean on in this instance, with the Japanese market Prelude Type S remaining a sought-after car to this day.
It remains to be seen, though, if Honda will ramp up the output for the more overtly sporting all-new Honda Prelude. The new coupé is expected to use largely the same chassis as the Civic, with a lightweight aluminum subframe together with a wide rear track and double-wishbone front suspension.
