Honda Prelude RETURNS

The Honda Prelude is returning to the UK as a two-door hybrid sports coupe and will debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

It’s been a long time since there was a Honda Prelude on sale in the UK, but that’s about to change as Honda reveals the Honda Prelude is going into production and will go on sale in the UK.

That sounds like good news, but in a world where car makers like to revive old nameplates and turn them into electric SUVs (hello, new Ford Capri) you might expect the new Prelude to follow the same route. But it doesn’t.

Instead, the new Prelude is a two-door hybrid sports coupe, with Hondas promising it will deliver a balance of “exhilarating Driving Pleasure” and #Outsranding efficiency”, which sounds delightful.

Honda isn’t delivering any powertrain details as yet, but as the Prelude is expected to be underpinned by the Civic’s Platform which could mean it will use the Civic’s hybrid setup with a 2.0-litre petrol engine and electric motors good for 181bhp. Although we would hope for more.

We only have an exterior view of the Prelude so far, but it’s likely the interior will be similar to the Civic’s.

Tomoyuki Yamagami, Honda’s Chief Engineer, said:

The new Prelude not only marks the latest chapter in our ever evolving hybrid story, it is also the product of 25 years of pioneering hybrid research and development. Ensuring this model maintains its ‘sporty’ DNA by perfectly blending the efficiency and environmental advantages of electrified driving with an exhilarating experience behind the wheel – liberating users from their daily lives with increased driving pleasure.
In addition, the Prelude demonstrates the continued importance of hybrid powertrains as part of Honda’s automobile electrification strategy – a key step towards our commitment for 100% of new vehicle sales to be battery electric or hydrogen fuel cell by 2040.

All should be revealed at the Goodwood Festival of SPeed this coming weekend.