- Honda hasn’t confirmed if the new Prelude will be sold in the U.S. but it is expected to be.
- A Japanese report claims the car will be very similar in size to the Toyota GR 86 and Subaru BRZ.
- Like the finest Honda performance cars currently in production, it’ll be front-wheel drive.
Honda stunned many with the unveiling of its sleek Prelude Concept at last year’s Japan Mobility Show and has confirmed it will spawn a production model. But, according to new info, it won’t be particularly powerful.
A report out of Japan claims the new Prelude will be introduced as a 2+2 and like its predecessors, it should be front-wheel drive. While we would’ve liked to see Honda go with rear-wheel drive so the new Prelude could better rival the Toyota GR 86 and Subaru BRZ, Honda has developed some of the finest handling front-wheel drive performance cars of all time, so we’re not too concerned.
Read: We Envision A Tasty 2026 Honda Prelude Type R
Honda won’t be chasing big power figures either. BestCarWeb claims it will use the same basic 2.0-liter four-cylinder e-HEV hybrid as the Civic and Accord. This setup could be tweaked to produce 207 hp. This would put it at a power disadvantage to the GR 86 and BRZ twins. This is despite the fact it will be almost identical in size to them, stretching 4,300 mm long (169.3 inches), 1,790 mm wide (70.5 inches), and standing 1,300 mm (51.2 inches) high, with a 2,575 mm (101.4-inch wheelbase).
This report goes on to claim Honda will fit the new Prelude with an electric continuously variable transmission, as opposed to a regular automatic or a dual-clutch. That also means no stick shift, which sounds like a missed opportunity to us. However, it’s worth pointing out that these specifications may only be for the Japanese model and things may change in other markets.
And what about price? The new Prelude is speculated to be priced between 4.2 million yen and 4.5 million yen or ~$27,300 – ~$29,400, several thousand dollars more than the GR 86.
Honda has confirmed both left- and right-hand drive versions of the Prelude will be produced. Although the company didn’t disclose more information, the new coupe will almost certainly be sold in the United States.
