New Honda Prelude 2026 review: a Civic Type R coupe it is not

Verdict

While the name ‘Prelude’ might insinuate that an even faster model is coming, the truth is that what we see now is ultimately all we’re getting from Honda’s halo model. Some may have hoped for a two-door Civic Type R replacement, but that’s not what the Honda Prelude is – nor what it has ever been. Like the cars that came before it, the new hybrid Honda is an attractive and comfortable cruiser that attempts to position itself as a budget grand tourer, rather than an out-and-out sports car. If you’re after a fun weekend toy, you’ll be better served elsewhere, but for those looking for a daily driver that’s as good to look at as it is cheap to run, the Prelude nails the brief perfectly.

Retro revivals are the biggest car-industry trend right now – besides the obligatory LED lightbars, and a renewed focus on hybridisation as buyer interest for electric cars lags behind expectations.

The new Honda Prelude is the product of all of these things: it restores the ‘Prelude’ lineage after two decades of absence, and is based upon the same full-hybrid architecture as the evergreen Civic. Oh, and it has a sleek-looking rear lightbar, too.

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On that point, the Prelude’s streamliner styling is probably its biggest selling point; with a design brief based around the concept of ‘gliding’, only an eel doused in butter could be considered more slippery. Don’t like it? The Prelude’s swooping lines can be interrupted by the £1,390 Black Pack which includes black badging, a front splitter and a rather pronounced rear spoiler. We prefer the less fussy look of the car without these styling flourishes, but that’s a matter of personal preference.

The Prelude enters what is a pretty lonely market sector; the number of traditional two-door coupe models has steeply declined over the last decade as manufacturers continue to place an ever-greater emphasis on crossovers and SUVs. Aside from the BMW 2 Series, there isn’t much left in the affordable, driver-focused coupe segment.

As mentioned, the Prelude has much in common with the Honda Civic, deploying that car’s 2.0-litre petrol-hybrid powertrain producing 181bhp. The 0-62mph sprint takes 8.2 seconds – more than half a second slower than the equivalent BMW 220i – even if the initial burst of acceleration does feel a smidge faster given the instantaneous torque delivery from the electric motor. Nevertheless, the Prelude feels like it could handle a bit more grunt; some overtakes require more preparation than you might expect.

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Keen drivers will pay more attention when they find out that the Prelude actually shares its suspension, brakes and steering with the recently-deceased Civic Type R. That car was one of the greatest contemporary hot hatches ever made, with a masterfully balanced chassis and an intoxicating freneticism that made every B-road feel like a racetrack.

The reality, however, is that the Prelude is a far more relaxed proposition than its Type R parts-donor. For starters, that adaptive suspension set-up from the hot Civic has been softened significantly for the Prelude, resulting in a comfortable ride that means you won’t need to book an appointment with your physiotherapist each time you switch the car into its ‘Sport’ setting.

The ‘Normal’ drive mode has been renamed ‘GT’ (short for ‘Grand Tourer’), providing a hint at how Honda has tuned the Prelude’s chassis. The steering is sharp and accurate, but is lighter than you’d expect from a low-slung coupe; this makes manoeuvring the Prelude around town incredibly easy, although we wish it was a tad weightier for added engagement.

When pushing on, the Prelude remains composed through corners, with decent grip. That said, it never eggs you on to drive fast like the Civic Type R or 220i does; the BMW’s rear-wheel drive set-up makes it a lot more playful in the corners, offering occasional episodes of oversteer that are noticeably absent in the front-driven Prelude.

In an effort to inject at least a modicum of driving fun, Honda has engineered its ‘S+ Shift’ virtual transmission into its flagship coupe. While the Prelude’s eCVT gearbox technically only has one forward gear, the S+ Shift system simulates a traditional dual-clutch automatic with augmented engine sounds and jolts emitted from the electric motor. This, like in the fully electric Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, works well and is most impactful on downshift when the Prelude is in Sport mode.

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Even so, the new Honda Prelude is most convincing on a rapid yet relaxed cruise through the countryside; the aforementioned supple suspension keeps the Prelude flat over undulations and the 2.0-litre hybrid motor hushes to just a purr – or even pure silence when the electric motor takes over. We returned an impressive 49mpg on our drive, even with spouts of hard acceleration, which bodes well for the Honda’s real-world running costs.

If you are going to be doing long miles in the Prelude then the interior better be an enjoyable place to spend time. The overall vibe is largely dependent on whether you choose to option the black or the two-tone grey and blue upholstery; the Prelude’s cockpit shares much with the standard Civic in the sense that it feels relatively premium (perhaps not quite so as the equivalent 2 Series), but isn’t all that exciting. With this in mind, the latter and lighter trim choice goes a long way to providing the Honda’s cabin with an appropriate sense of occasion.

One thing we have to point out is the fact that the rear seats are trimmed in what feels like the cheapest cloth material Honda could find – as opposed to the plush leather up front. Admittedly, these are best reserved for children, but the low-rent upholstery acts as a small reminder of Honda’s existence as a mainstream brand, despite the Prelude’s premium ambitions.

Most people, however, will fold down the second row to expand the Prelude’s 269-litre boot – which in its standard configuration is smaller than its 2 Series rival’s, despite the hatchback opening. If you brim the Prelude’s boot to the roofline with the second row stowed, there’s 760 litres of space – enough for “at least two sets of golf clubs”, Honda tells us.

There’s only one specification available to Prelude buyers. Advance starts from a snip under £41,000 and comes fully loaded with a Bose sound system, reversing camera, heated front seats (which, by the way, aren’t quite low enough for our liking), a digital instrument cluster and nine-inch infotainment system. The touchscreen itself offers pretty dingy graphics and isn’t all that quick to respond, but thankfully Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are there to save the day. 

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