At the recent Japan Mobility Show, the debut of the Honda Prelude Concept turned heads. While it exuded the expected elegance and allure of a new Prelude, several key specifics—such as details on the coupe’s hybrid powertrain and target markets—still remain undisclosed. Although concrete figures are premature, insights from Honda’s Chief Engineer Tomoyuki Yamagami have given us a clear glimpse into what to anticipate when the Prelude makes its return in the upcoming years. In essence, do not anticipate a racer.
“It won’t be the most sporty, high-powered vehicle to hit the tracks, that’s one thing,” Yamagami mentioned in an interview with the Australian publication CarsGuide. “This will serve as a preview to all of Honda’s upcoming electric vehicle launches.”
For those hoping for a direct competitor to models like the Toyota GR86 and Subaru BRZ duo, Mazda Miata, or Volkswagen GTI, this revelation may come as a letdown. Yet, the original Prelude never aimed to match those rivals. There is certainly a niche for a stylish, technologically advanced, enjoyable-to-drive, and luxurious “personal” coupe that offers daily excitement, even if it’s not tailored for track racing. Think of it as akin to the CR-Z, but with slightly more power. That’s the improvement the hybrid hatch really needed, after all.
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
reddit
LinkedIn
Tumblr
Maddox Kay/The Drive
Yamagami also labeled the Prelude as a “global model,” indicating plans for both left-hand and right-hand-drive variants. This news should alleviate any worries that the automaker is solely focusing on markets outside of North America for this compact coupe.
On paper, the upcoming Prelude reminisces the 1990s era in a positive manner: a comfortable, if not aggressively sporty, two-door with appealing looks and hopefully a reasonable price tag. If this is a sneak peek of the electrified vehicles Honda is envisioning for the future, then the company is drawing inspiration from the right sources. Just please ensure it possesses sufficient power this time, Honda. The 204-horsepower two-liter four-cylinder engine combined with dual motors from the Accord Hybrid would suffice.
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
