Honda Prelude Returning To The U.S. Next Year
It’s more of a postlude, but it sounds good to us, either way.
Honda has confirmed that an all-new 2026 Prelude will be launched in the U.S. in late 2025 as a 2026 model. The two-door’s styling has been revealed in full, but many details remain secret. One that Honda has let slip is that it will feature a hybrid powertrain.
The new Prelude is an all-new design with a few subtle touches that tip their hats to previous models, which were sold from 1978 through 2001, including the full-width taillights and script-style nameplate.
The Prelude will almost certainly be related to the Honda Civic Hybrid’s platform, although it could potentially use the more powerful Accord Hybrid’s powertrain, which is rated at 204 hp and 247 lb-ft of torque to the Civic’s 200 hp and 232 lb-ft.
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Both are equipped with a continuously variable transmission, but Honda says the Prelude will have an S+ Shift mode that can presumably mimic gears. A Prelude concept that debuted in 2023 was slightly smaller than a four-door Civic Hatchback.
“The return of the Honda Prelude as a hybrid-electric sports model demonstrates our continued commitment to offer a variety of exhilarating products to meet the needs of our customers,” Jessika Laudermilk, assistant vice president of Honda Auto Sales said in a news release.
“The first three products in the Honda lineup in the 1970s were Civic, Accord and Prelude, and soon all three will be back together again in our passenger car lineup as hybrids.”
As for where it will be built, Honda hasn’t said, but it will most likely be sourced from one of the factories in the U.S. or Canada that build the Civic and Accord.
Honda pegged the announcement to the 25th anniversary of the debut of the 1999 Honda Insight, which was the first hybrid vehicle sold in the U.S.
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