The 2026 Honda Prelude: Everything You Need to Know

Honda’s next sports car may be arriving much sooner than we thought.

Published November 9, 2023

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The Prelude was Honda’s iconic sports coupe from the 1980s and 1990s. In more recent years, however, there have been rumors about Honda planning the nameplate’s revival. Honda confirmed them this October, by unveiling a Prelude concept at Japan Mobility Show 2023. The concept should — fittingly — be a prelude to the most significant change in Honda’s history.

Here’s what you need to know about the new Honda Prelude.

The Honda Prelude is not an electric car

The Prelude concept looked suspiciously close to production-ready, considering Honda has been behind on EVs, doesn’t have its own electric vehicle platform yet, and its first mainstream effort will be GM-built. It turns out there’s a reason for that: Honda PR later clarified that the Prelude concept is a hybrid, rather than an electric car. According to Automotive News, the Prelude will get an improved version of the two-motor hybrid system Honda uses in the Accord.

The Prelude should be sporty — but not too sporty

Honda said the Prelude will “embody Honda’s unalterable sports mindset.” The brand’s chief engineer Tomoyuki Yamagami told Automotive News the Prelude would be a driver-focused, fun-to-drive touring car. Improvements to the two-motor system will focus on power and handling. Also, shedding a lot of the heavy, bulky battery infrastructure required for a pure EV should help Honda keep the weight down.

But the Prelude won’t be a track rival for cars like the Toyota GR86. Yamagami also told CarsGuide that the Prelude “isn’t going to be the sportiest, zippiest car that’s going to be tossed into the circuits.”

How many seats does the new Honda Prelude have?

Four. The Prelude is a two-door coupe. But Yamagami confirmed to CarsGuide that Honda is giving it a more practical 2+2 seating layout.

How much will the new Honda Prelude cost?

We don’t know yet. But it should be relatively affordable. A hybrid built on extant technology and platforms should be cheaper than a new electric car. Yamagami told Automotive News that the brand wanted to reprise the Prelude’s role as a “date car” and a “car for couples,” which suggests it will be affordable to younger people. The Prelude could be the more mass-market sporty offering, while Acura goes upmarket with a new electric NSX.

When will the new Honda Prelude arrive?

A hybrid sports coupe will take far less time to get to market than an electric sports coupe. Yamagami told Automotive News the Prelude will arrive sometime in the mid-2020s. Technically, that could be as soon as the next few months. But 2025 or 2026 would be more reasonable.

Will the new Honda Prelude come to America?

According to the Automotive News report, America is one of the markets under consideration to get the new Prelude. Yamagami told CarsGuide that the Prelude will be a “global model.” We expect it will be sold in America.