Prelude’s S+ Shift system to be offered on mainstream Hondas

Honda Australia has confirmed the new Prelude coupe’s S+ Shift virtual transmission will be applied to other, more mainstream hybrid models coming to market.

Speaking to carsales at this week’s launch of the long-awaited two-door, Honda Australia director Robert Thorp made the revelation the day after an address in which the new Prelude was described as a “platform for innovation”.

“Without officially announcing anything, I think you will start to see S+ Shift arrive in other models that we bring to market,” he said.

The local automotive boss wouldn’t be drawn on which model(s) would inherit the system next, but did confess it wouldn’t be restricted to niche products like the Prelude.

“It won’t be limited to performance-based models … you’ll start to see a few others as well.”

The only other electrified Honda confirmed for Australia with a simulated gear shift – thus far – is the pint-sized Super-ONE hatch that’s due here between July and September.

Similar to the Hyundai IONIQ 5 N, the 3400mm electric kei car will come with artificial engine noise and a simulated seven-speed transmission to increase driver involvement in tandem with a boost mode that temporarily increases outputs from the singular drive motor.

This is an inherently different setup to the hybrid-specific S+ Shift system which uses one of the hybrid system’s motors to vary both the engine speed and drive force in steps for up-shifts and its regenerative braking capabilities for downshifts.

As with previous virtual systems from other brands, this mildly stunts outright performance in exchange for greater driver involvement both via the steering wheel paddles or fully automated.

Both Thorp and Honda Australia president and CEO Jay Joseph refused to tell us what else was on the horizon for Australia beyond the Super-ONE now the updated CR-V and all-new Prelude have arrived.

“We do have more product in the pipeline behind those (Prelude and Super-ONE), but I won’t be any more specific than that at the moment,” Joseph said.

A mid-life update for the Civic and Accord would be a safe bet, and so too, albeit to a lesser extent, would be a special-edition Civic Type R which continues to inch toward an untimely NVES-inflicted death.

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