The Honda Prelude returns to the brand's catalogue in Europe as a sporty hybrid, and it already has a price!

The Prelude is one of those vehicles that, without making much noise, became an icon of Honda: since 1978, the year the first generation was launched, it has been the standard-bearer of the Japanese brand’s innovative and cutting-edge engineering. Now, after 25 years of absence, the Honda Prelude returns to the brand’s European catalogue, following the same principles, all under its sporty character and coupé design.

Honda has been slowly cooking up the international rollout of the new Prelude. In 2023 the Japanese brand presented it at the Tokyo Motor Show, and then gradually released important details about what to expect, the latest ones practically at the end of 2024. But the wait is over: we can now say that the Honda Prelude has officially arrived on European soil, and we even know its price.

But first, let’s take a look at what the new Honda Prelude has in store. As expected, this sixth generation keeps its coupé silhouette, with a low, sharp front nose that looks out defiantly, partly thanks to the LED headlights with a distinctive light signature and the narrow black-chrome front grille between them. A little lower, the smooth-lined bumper reveals a lower air intake that denotes its sporty character and blends perfectly into the slightly widened front wheel arches.

Moving to the side, its lines flow harmoniously towards the rear, while revealing a particularly low roofline of just 1,355 mm from the ground. Here too, Honda has drawn on solutions from the Civic, such as the door-mounted mirrors placed below the waistline. The roof features a “double bubble” panel as a nod to classic high-performance cars, which blends seamlessly with the tailgate and ends in a rear dominated by the LED light unit spanning its full width.

The Prelude comes standard with 19-inch alloy wheels in a multi-spoke design, behind which hide blue brake calipers finished with the Prelude and Brembo logos. Future owners will be able to choose from four exterior colours: Moonlit White Pearl, Meteoroid Grey Metallic, Crystal Black Pearl and Racing Blue Pearl.

Opening the doors, we find an interior with an unmistakable Honda design, with the dashboard set low to improve visibility and built around very pronounced, distinct lines. Although it moves towards today’s minimalist design, there are still a number of buttons and controls for handling all the basic functions. Naturally, screens were not left out: a 10.2-inch digital display for the instrument cluster, which provides all the information the driver needs, and a 9-inch screen for the infotainment system.

Honda will offer the Prelude in Spain in a single trim level called Advance, so, as you might imagine, it comes well equipped, as we will see below with many of its features:

• 19-inch alloy wheels
• LED front and rear headlights
• Light sensor and automatic adjustment
• Active cornering lights
• Adaptive high beams
• Body-coloured mirrors
• Tinted glass
• Dashboard, door panels and centre console in black faux leather
• Dashboard, door panels and centre console in white synthetic leather with cloud-like texture
• Stainless steel sports pedals
• Leather steering wheel
• Front seats with leather / faux leather upholstery and rear seats in fabric
• Two-tone double stitching on seats and dashboard
• Dual-zone automatic climate control
• Auto-dimming interior mirror
• Rain sensor
• Aspherical, heated exterior mirrors with electric adjustment and folding
• Front centre armrest
• Front seats with lumbar adjustment
• Heated front seats
• Honda CONNECT with navigation on a 9-inch touchscreen
• 10.2-inch instrument cluster display
• Bose audio with 8 speakers
• 2 front USB Type-C sockets
• Wireless charger
• Bluetooth
• Adaptive dampers
• Driving mode selector (COMFORT / GT / SPORT)
• S+Shift: Sport+ mode with paddle shifters
• Electric parking brake
• Steering wheel paddles
• Smart Entry
• Adaptive cruise control
• Rear-view camera with parking function and guide lines
• Brake assist
• Blind spot information system with cross-traffic alert
• Automatic emergency braking with collision mitigation
• Accelerator control with collision mitigation
• Tyre deflation warning system
• Forward collision warning
• Adjustable speed limiter
• Intelligent speed limiter
• Lane departure warning
• Lane keeping assist system
• Low-speed follow function
• Road departure mitigation system
• Traffic jam assist
• Traffic sign recognition system

Mechanically, the new Honda Prelude uses the latest generation of the Honda e:HEV hybrid system, combining a 2.0-litre petrol engine with the lightweight automatic transmission featuring dual electric motors and the Honda S+ Shift system. Together they deliver 184 CV and 315 Nm of torque, allowing it to reach 100 km/h in 8.2 seconds. Also part of this hybrid system is the high-power 72-cell lithium-ion battery.

If you want to get your hands on the new Honda Prelude, you’re in luck, because the brand is already taking orders at its Spanish dealerships, with prices starting at 49,500 euros. The first owners will receive their Preludes from February 2026 onwards.