Honda’s Prelude returns as a 200-horsepower fake-shifting hybrid

Honda is bringing back the sporty Prelude as a technology-packed 200-horsepower hybrid to tug at nostalgia strings. It’s the first new Prelude in 25 years and the front-wheel-drive-coup antidote to crossover SUVs. Pricing hasn’t been announced but in Japan it starts at just under 6.18 million yen (around $41,600), according to Nikkei. It will arrive at US dealerships in late autumn

Pitched as “fun-to-drive,” the 2026 Prelude features 232 pound-feet of torque and a direct-drive transmission that pairs two electric motors with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder, just like Honda’s Civic Hybrid. It also features paddle shifters and a new S+ Shift drive mode that “simulates a performance transmission experience” of a real sports car. Here’s how Honda describes it:

With the innovative new Honda S+ Shift system, Prelude delivers the ultimate electrified Honda driving experience with a responsive and engaging shifting simulation, featuring virtual rev-matched downshifts in S+ mode and enhanced engine sounds to increase driver feel and connection with the vehicle.

In other words, S+ Shift lets you aggressively mimic traditional gear changes to make the Prelude go vroom vroom. Fortunately, you don’t have to use it. Honda Japan gives us an idea of what S+ Shift looks and sounds like in the following video — and honestly, I don’t hate it:

Inside the 2+2 coupe you’ll find a 10.2-inch instrument cluster and a 9-inch touchscreen with support for wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. You also get a wireless charger for your phone and Google built-in, which includes things like Google Assistant and Google Maps for a personalized and connected driving experience. It all comes standard with three years of unlimited data and a Wi-Fi hotspot.

For sound, the 8-speaker Bose Centerpoint premium audio system includes 6.5-inch, wide-range speakers in the doors and a large subwoofer located in the cargo area.

Nikkei says the car is meant to win over a generation of Prelude fans who are now in their 50s and 60s — I’ve never felt so seen:

Back in the 1980s, the Prelude was available for around 1.5 million yen, making it a popular choice for young men for going on dates. Roughly a quarter century after the previous Prelude was discontinued, many are now empty nesters looking to choose cars for themselves again.

See, I drove a Honda Prelude as a young man in the late ‘80s and did, indeed, use it for dates. Last weekend I dropped my youngest off at college and returned to a house that never felt so empty.

I need this car.