Photography courtesy Honda
It’s been nearly 25 years since Honda last produced the Prelude. This fall, a new generation hits showrooms, with a hybrid powertrain, Type R chassis components and S+ Shift.
Wait, what’s S+ Shift?
Yes, it’s another branded term for a simulated transmission experience. The S+ Shift paddle shifters allow you to row through the virtual gears. Honda says it even delivers “virtual rev-matched downshifts,” along with downshift blips and gear holding. The automaker added that it won’t be exclusive to the Prelude, and will debut on future hybrids from the company.
Is it fake? You could say that, but simulated shifts can be engaging as we’ve documented with our experiences with the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N.
Two electric motors and a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine propel the vehicle, with a combined horsepower of 200 and 232 lb.-ft. of torque at just where you need it, from zero to 2000 rpm.
No official word on weight, yet, though, or pricing. However, expect the MSRP to fall somewhere between a Civic Sport Touring Hybrid ($29,295) and Civic Type R ($45,895).
The Prelude also shares quite a bit of chassis hardware from the Civic Type R, including the dual-axis front suspension, wide front and rear tracks, and large Brembo brakes. Honda says they tuned those items specifically for the Prelude. Switching through the four drive modes–Comfort, GT, Sport and Individual–adjusts “powertrain response, steering assist, suspension damping, engine sound, gauge cluster layout and adaptive cruise control.”
An interesting note, the Prelude also features an enhanced Honda Agile Handling Assist. Honda says it “improves handling and driver confidence through integrated control of the powertrain and braking system in accordance with the driver’s steering operation.”
Will the new Honda Prelude be as beloved as its predecessors? Time will tell.
Honda makes good cars. Honda makes good hybrids. This car still looks like a tough sell to me. Most people who really want a performance car aren't going to chose this over a TypeR. Most people who aren't hard core performance car people are going to have a hard time justifying buying this over an Accord. Reminds me of the CRZ. A hybrid with some cool ideas, but who are we aiming at exactly? This seems like the type of car that the 7 people who buy it will really love.
In reply to CrashDummy :
I might be in that minority that's interested in a high-performance hybrid, but I still agreed that it could end up being a hard sell for Honda.
I am not in the know of Honda's lineup, do they offer a coupe? (local dealer is crossovers and sedans)
That might be the target demographic, someone shopping Honda looking for a coupe that's the target?
DjGreggieP said:I am not in the know of Honda's lineup, do they offer a coupe? (local dealer is crossovers and sedans)
That might be the target demographic, someone shopping Honda looking for a coupe that's the target?
Good point. The Prelude will be the only two-door in the lineup.
Also note the price. It'll be cheaper than the Civic Type R, but it remains to be seen how much cheaper.
As a Prelude owner since 1984, I've been watching this very closely. The faux gearbox is dismaying...interesting for awhile, but after a few months I think the novelty would wear off. And a 2-liter hybrid that only produces 200 hp will grab no one's attention. 5th generation Preludes produced 200 hp from a 2.2-liter engine...sure, the peak torque was just short of 160 ft-lbs, but the fun was winding the engine up to exploit it. I suspect the extra weight -- I'll be surprised if this comes in at less than 3300 lbs -- will blunt the extra torque.
I'll certainly try for a test drive when they hit my local Honda dealer, but the 4th gen sitting in my garage doesn't look worried.
My hope is that it looks better in person than it does in photographs. To me it's almost a study in "anti-styling."
And it sounds more like a "mild-performance" coupe rather than high-performance:
"...combined horsepower of 200 and 232 lb.-ft. of torque...."
Both of those numbers are less than those for a 10 year old GTI (210-220hp, 258 lb-ft).
Maybe the magic will be in how that torque is delivered: "... just where you need it, from zero to 2000 rpm." I'm hopeful.
I'm open (and hopeful) to the idea that I'll be shown to be completely wrong on all accounts. I hope the new Prelude knocks it out of the park. The chassis/suspension from the CTR is a great place to start.
So, yeah, I'm hopefully guarded that this will be a great car.
If it's 200hp and ~3200-3300#s, then it's basically a 5th Gen Prius with a smooshed rear seat. And GRM wasn't exactly titillated by the 5th Gen Prius's performance or utility, iirc.
seems like a hard sell.
CRZ all over again, this time with even less general public interest in non-SUV cars.
In reply to Coniglio Rampante :
FWIW, the current Civic Si is rated at 200 horsepower and 192 lb.-ft. of torque.
Certainly not the most powerful car in Honda's lineup, but still very fun to drive (though I imagine the manual transmission plays a part in that fun).
Is this a Civic Type R missing 115 horsepower?
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