The reborn Honda Prelude will make a comeback in 2026. After a 26-year absence, it will be with a 2-liter gasoline engine and fake gearshift.
The Honda Prelude returns to Europe with a petrol engine and a system that simulates the feel of a manual gearshift, despite being equipped with a hybrid system. The new Honda Prelude is expected to be launched in the first half of 2026.
It's an unusual choice for Honda to revive a two-door sports coupe, as the market for this type of car is severely limited. However, Honda is betting that the familiar model name will attract buyers. The Prelude was originally in production from 1978 to 2000.
The new Honda Prelude will be equipped with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine and two electric motors. A notable feature is the S+ Shift system, which gives the driver the experience of manually shifting gears even though the car has an automatic hybrid system.
Whether Honda's Prelude venture into a niche market with a classic name will prove to be a success remains to be seen.
This week, the Danish Honda importer announced that the new car is coming to Europe. However, it is not 100% clear whether those plans also include a Danish launch.
The last time the car was on the Danish market was, according to data from Bilmodel.dk, in 2000. Here, the coupé cost from 354,000 kroner, which corresponds to 560,000 kroner today.
Honda, on the other hand, is not the only one to equip cars with fake gearshifts. Several of its competitors even believe that it is a good idea in electric cars as well.
Here the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N is a scary example. Not only have the Koreans equipped the electric car, which has only one gear, in addition to simulated gear changes, they have also added fake engine sounds to the car. What's worse, the 'engine' sounds like something from a cheap computer game. Watch it for yourself below.
