It says a lot about the state of the market for affordable two-door coupes that confirmation of the Honda Prelude for Europe very soon feels like the biggest news since, what, the GR86? There really hasn’t been much to gee up enthusiasts over the past few years when it comes to proper coupes - i.e. those that aren’t SUVs with a tapering roofline.
But after some heavy teasing, Honda has confirmed that the Prelude will come to Europe in 2026, which feels like good news. The brand has a great heritage when it comes to interesting hybrid models - this announcement comes in the 25th anniversary year of the incredibly innovative original Insight - and nobody needs reminding of how good recent Type Rs have been. Both the distant and more recent past give us hope that Honda could make a decent fist of the vaguely sporting hybrid coupe.
Particularly with confirmation of something called S+ Shift technology for the 2026 car. It sounds a lot like the augmented ratio swapping found in cars like the Ioniq 5N, promising to ‘simulate the sound and feel of quick automatic gearchanges’. If it’s as well incorporated as in the Hyundai, we’re all for it; as electrification continues apace, simulated involvement and engagement seem better than none at all.
For the moment, with the Prelude still more than 12 months away from Europe, there’s not very much more to know. Honda is promising that the production model will pick up where the old Prelude left off, which feels a bit of a stretch - as well as probably underselling what the new one can do - given the last car ended production a quarter of a century ago. Nevertheless, ‘style and sophistication alongside an efficient hybrid powertrain’ are what’s in store. Not perhaps not an outright thrill-seeker, though we’re surely at the point where a world with some kind of Prelude is better than going without one. Honda’s mainstream lineup couldn’t certainly do with something to lift it right now.
Hans de Jaeger, Honda Europe’s Senior VP, said: “The Honda Prelude is an iconic nameplate, and this latest model promises to build on that heritage with our trademark hybrid performance and the latest dynamic technology. All with a view to not only delivering exceptional efficiency, but also the fun-to-drive performance for which this model is known. We are excited for its arrival in Europe following a very positive reception so far.”
Probably best to set your expectations to curious rather than counting down the days, then, but Honda is saying plenty of the right stuff for now. And if only a 7,500rpm, 2.2-litre Prelude with a real auto will do, you’ve come to the right place - this dealer has two.
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