New Honda Prelude gets Civic-inspired interior in latest pictures

• New two-door hybrid sports coupe
• Front-wheel drive with simulated gear shift tech
• Arriving in early 2026

The new Honda Prelude is on track to hit the market next year, and these latest photos from the F1 Tokyo Fan Festival in Japan reveal that it’s almost production-ready. Along with fresh exterior shots, we’ve been given our first look at the new sports coupe’s interior, which looks to be largely carried over from the Honda Civic.

That’s not the only thing that will be transplanted from Honda’s popular hatchback – the new Prelude is expected to use the same self-charging hybrid tech, albeit packaged in a sleeker, two-door coupe body. It promises to deliver sporty looks, driving enjoyment and efficiency in equal measures, using clever ‘S+ Shift’ tech to simulate gear shifts and ramp up the fun factor.

What can we see in the latest Prelude images?

In the build-up to the Japanese Grand Prix, Honda rolled out the new Prelude with F1 Driver Liam Lawson behind the wheel, giving us a clear view of it in motion for the first time. While technically still a prototype, the Prelude looks like it could be slotted into a Honda showroom tomorrow and not look out of place.

The new exterior image shows the Prelude finished in a white paint colour with gloss black wheels, which look to be the same as those fitted to the concept car from 2024. In fact, very little has changed from last year’s concept, with the same wide stance and more than a hint of the second-generation Honda NSX supercar. Unfortunately, the concept’s neat carbon-fibre spoiler hasn’t survived the transition from concept to production.

But it’s the interior that’s most exciting in these latest images. It’s the first time we’ve had a look at the Prelude’s cabin, yet things feel pretty familiar. The digital gauge cluster, climate controls, driving mode switch and gear selector all look to be lifted from the Civic hatchback, but there are a few unique touches. The dashboard design is different, featuring cream-coloured upholstery and blue contrasting stitching.

The same blue stitching is used for the sporty-looking bucket seats, which have the ‘Prelude’ emblem embossed in the headrests. We can just about make out an extra seatbelt behind the front seats, confirming that the new Prelude will be a 2+2 sports car, with a pair of small seats in the back.

What do I need to know about the new Honda Prelude?

The new Honda prelude was teased as a concept car last year, but it didn’t take long for Honda to confirm that the sports car would be put into production by early 2026, 48 years after the original first launched.

The driving idea behind the new Honda Prelude is to reintroduce the mass-market, affordable sports coupe in the modern age. The Japanese carmaker believes there is still an audience for fun and efficient small cars today, despite the ever-growing popularity of SUVs. Chief engineer and project lead, Tomoyuki Yamagami, described the new Prelude like a “glider” – both incredibly efficient, but also “agile and joyful”.

While you could argue that the Toyota GR86 and Mazda MX-5 are already championing the same cause, legislation changes have cut short the Toyota’s production run, and neither is particularly efficient in today’s era of electrification. Honda hopes that the new Prelude will improve on both fronts, being both a mass-production model but also using a hybrid system to improve fuel efficiency.

“The Honda Prelude is an iconic nameplate, and this latest model promises to build on that heritage with our trademark hybrid performance and the latest dynamic technology,” Honda’s European VP, Hans de Jaeger, said. “All with a view to not only delivering exceptional efficiency, but also the fun-to-drive performance for which this model is known.”

What do we know about the Prelude’s hybrid system?

Honda hasn’t given away much about the Prelude’s engine and hybrid system yet, but we do know it will pinch much of the current Honda Civic’s architecture, including its front-wheel drive layout. It’s likely, therefore, that it will use the Civic’s engine, CVT gearbox and self-charging hybrid system, too.

That would mean a 2.0-litre petrol engine paired with two electric motors – a system Honda calls ‘e:HEV’. We’re fans of the Civic’s sporty nature and nippy 181bhp engine, but it’s plausible that the Prelude could introduce some performance upgrades to turn things up a notch.

There are no immediate plans for a Type R version of the Prelude, even though Yagamami hinted that the Civic Type R’s 324bhp engine would fit under the bonnet. Instead, Honda is planning future expansion to the Prelude range, perhaps to include an all-electric version once the hybrid has been “accepted by customers first”.

What is Honda’s S+ Shift technology?

The new Prelude will be the first Honda to use its ‘S+ Shift’ technology, which will mimic the snappy upshifts and downshifts of an automatic gearbox.

Honda’s hybrid cars don’t use a traditional gearbox at all, instead relying on the electric motor for low-speed power and the petrol engine for higher speeds through its e:HEV system. While we don’t know exactly how the S+ Shift feature will work, we expect that it will allow the driver to use the steering-wheel mounted paddles – shown off in the latest interior pictures – to change up and down between different simulated gear ratios. The images also reveal a unique ‘S+’ button next to the drive mode selector, so we imagine the driver will be able to turn the system off.

According to Honda, the system “will simulate the sound and feel of quick automatic gear changes – helping to deliver the model’s perfect balance of exhilarating driving pleasure to a new generation of Prelude drivers.”

How much will the Honda Prelude cost and when can I buy one?

As with the technical details, Honda has remained tight-lipped on the Prelude’s pricing. But, judging by the Civic-based underpinnings, a starting price of under £40,000 would seem reasonable and provide enough of a gap to the £50,000 Civic Type R above. It will arrive in European showrooms in early 2026.

New Honda Prelude prototype and concept images

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