Auto enthusiasts have been waiting years for Honda to bring this nameplate back, and it has been well worth the wait. The 2026 Prelude is a front-wheel-drive coupe that aims to combine efficiency with proper road characteristics. Mat from CarWow recently spent some time with the new model and was quite impressed by how it manages to be practical while yet providing the occasional moment of real grip and responsiveness. There’s a lot to be said for the super-wide tracks and suspension components borrowed from the Civic Type R, as the thing feels as sturdy as a rock, which is a significant upgrade over earlier coupes that seemed a little jittery.
It includes several minor upgrades, such as flush pop-out door handles and functional vents, rather than simply making a splash. Proportions are slightly more swoopy and stretched out than the original 1999 model parked next to it for comparison. Some people may find the front end a little too cluttered with all the numerous components, but the side view is actually quite clean, and the rear view is well balanced.
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The 19-inch wheels look fairly sleek, especially with the blue brake calipers peeping through, and the black accents don’t hurt either. The panel gaps are nice and tight, and you can tell it was carefully put together, although we did note that a few sections can get dirty with time. Many of the safety requirements now require that the cowl be raised somewhat, reducing the amount of glass and making the cabin feel more enclosed from the outside world.
Getting into the driver’s seat is where the attention lies, you know? Bolstered cushions hug you just right without any fancy electric adjustment; a little more manual is wonderful sometimes. There’s a flat-bottomed wheel in front of a clear digital display that switches between economy readouts and the fundamentals, and the physical climate control dials all work well, but the center console could be a little less cluttered. The nine-inch touchscreen is a little slow compared to some competitors, and we noted that you have to use a wired phone connection, but it does display all of your trip data properly in the end. Tall passengers may find the back seats to be a touch snug, and while folding the rear seats does provide some extra space, you must still climb over the small lip in the back.
Under the hood, you’ll find a 2-liter four-cylinder engine linked with an electric motor, giving you a total of 200 horsepower and 315 newton meters of torque to play with, and the e-CVT and S-plus shift mode do an excellent job of sorting out the gears for you. Because of the battery pack, the entire contraption weighs around 1480kg, yet it never seems that heavy. Tests showed that it can travel from 0 to 60 in just under 7.4 seconds when in automated mode, or about the same time if you choose manual gear changes. Quarter-mile runs averaged little under 16.1 seconds.
