Next-gen Honda Prelude set for Euro and US release

The 2025 Honda Prelude will go on sale late next year, some 25 years after the last-generation sports car was discontinued globally.

Confirming the swish hybrid coupe will land in US dealerships in late 2025 ahead of an early 2026 Euro release, it’s thought Australian cars will rock up around the same time as the UK (later in 2026)… provided it’s confirmed for our market.

Every previous generation was offered Down Under between 1979 and 2001, serving as Honda’s premier sports car offering above the smaller and cheaper Integra, and as such came with some of Honda’s most state-of-the-art tech: V-TEC, advanced aerodynamics and rear-wheel steering.

The innovation will continue on the six-generation coupe when it becomes the first model to debut Honda’s next-generation dual-motor e:HEV hybrid system and its all-new ‘S+ Shift’ drive mode that’s said to “deliver maximum levels of driver engagement”.

Engage S+ Shift and the driver can use the steering wheel-mounted paddles to replicate the feeling and sound of a gear change, despite the hybrid powertrain using a continuously variable transmission (CVT) that does without conventional gears.

Said to enhance the driving experience, the new simulated gear-shifting capability follows on from the Hyundai IONIQ 5 N that replicates an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

Toyota has made it clear it too is keen to introduce a virtual gear-shifter into its next-gen EVs, possibly debuting on the next-generation MR2 or Celica.

Honda hasn’t revealed much about the new Prelude just yet, especially in terms of the powertrain’s power and performance, but reports suggest it will be an electrified 2.0-litre that will produce around 154kW.

The brand has claimed, however, that it will deliver up to 10 per cent better efficiency than the current e:HEV system, along with a smaller front drive unit to save weight.

There’s no word on acceleration but a 0-100km/h dash of less than 7.0 seconds is expected.

Stay tuned as more details of the 2026 Honda Prelude will be released early next year in the build-up to its US debut.

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