2026 Honda Prelude Hybrid Marks the Return of an Iconic Sports Coupe

The Prelude is Honda’s popular sporty coupe that roamed the streets from 1978 to 2001. During its four generations, the car became a cult favorite with tuners and customizers. With the reintroduction, Honda will be looking for a completely new customer who isn’t familiar with the Prelude name, seeing as it has been away for more than two decades. The all-new 2026 Honda Prelude Hybrid has a 2.0-liter I4 Atkinson-cycle engine paired with two motors, producing a combined 200 horsepower and 232 lb-ft. of torque.

The 2025 Honda Civic Hybrid is outfitted with the same hybrid engine setup that delivers good performance. Turning 6.2 seconds in 0 to 60 mph runs is plenty fast for a car weighing 2,935 pounds. Honda did not release the curb weight for the Prelude Hybrid, but it should be similar, seeing as it is smaller and has two fewer doors.

Honda also did not reveal fuel economy numbers for the Prelude, but we expect it to be similar to the Civic Hybrid’s EPA numbers of 50 city/47 highway and 49 combined miles per gallon.

In terms of drive modes, the Prelude will offer Comfort, GT, Sport, and Individual settings. Honda also debuts a new manual automatic transmission (more Honda-speak), S+ Shift, that it claims simulates a performance transmission experience. Using paddle shifters, drivers will enjoy realistic rev matching, downshift blips, gear holding, and “enhanced” engine sounds. More on that once we get our fingers on those paddle shifters.

Designed for Fun Driving

Jessika Laudermilk, assistant vice president of Honda Auto Sales, says the steering and handling were designed to give “a fun-to-drive feel.” To do so, the Prelude’s performance cred begins with the suspension from the Civic Type R that includes dual-axis struts up front and multi-link in the rear. Adaptive dampers with stabilizer bars, front and rear, complete the setup. There is also brake-based torque vectoring, which in Honda-speak is called “Agile Handling Assist.” Again, when we drive it, we will pass along the details.

Stopping is from power-assisted ventilated front and solid rear discs, with the fronts getting Brembo 4-piston aluminum brake calipers. All-season 235/40R tires on gloss Berlina Black alloy wheels are standard, with summer tires available.

The Prelude Hybrid has a sloping roofline, flush door handles, and a rear light bar running edge-to-edge, sitting just below a diminutive spoiler. The doors are smooth, but for air vents behind the front wheels that lead to a sculpted detail running along the door’s bottom edge. The aerodynamic front end includes an under-spoiler with headlights being mere slits on the outer edges of the smooth hood and fenders.

Sporty Cabin

Inside, the 2+2 seating has a 60:40 split fold-down rear seat with a hatchback lift gate for access. There is a 10.2-inch configurable digital instrument cluster and a 9.0-inch high definition touchscreen with Google Built-in. The wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto come through the 9-speaker Bose sound system. There is wireless phone charging, and the Prelude Hybrid can be a WiFi Hotspot.

2026 Honda Prelude Hybrid Availability and Pricing

Honda has targeted late fall 2025 for the 2026 Prelude Hybrid to be in dealers. Pricing has not been revealed, but we would expect it to start under $40,000.

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About the Author

John Faulkner is the Road Test Editor and Senior writer at Clean Fleet Report, where they give readers the information needed to move to cars, SUVs, and trucks with the best fuel economy and efficiency. This includes those propelled by electricity, plug-in hybrids, hybrids, hydrogen-electric fuel cells, and advanced diesel and gasoline engines.

John has more than 30 years’ experience branding, launching, and marketing automobiles. He has worked with General Motors (all Divisions), Chrysler (Dodge, Jeep, Eagle), Ford and Lincoln-Mercury, Honda, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, and Toyota on consumer events and sales training programs. He is a journalist member of the Motor Press Guild and Western Automotive Journalists.