2026 Honda Prelude launched in Japan – Civic e:HEV hybrid system, Civic Type R suspension; from RM177k

After being previewed as a concept since October 2023, the Honda Prelude has now made its official debut as a production model that is now open for order taking in Japan and will also go on sale in the United States in late fall.

Appearing pretty much like a carbon copy of the concept, the reborn Prelude (codenamed BF1) is a stylish two-door sports coupe featuring a shark nose front end, slim headlamps with an upper daytime running light bar, a swooping roofline, a cab-forward profile and flush pop-out door handles.

A rear hatch opens to reveal a 2+2 cabin with a rear 60:40 split-folding bench that can be put down to provide more storage space. As for the front of the living space, you’ll find a dashboard that is similar to that of the 11th-generation Civic, with familiar items being a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, nine-inch infotainment touchscreen and digital air-conditioning controls.

There are some noticeable differences between the Prelude and the Civic, with the former sporting a flat-bottomed three-spoke steering wheel with a 12 o’clock marker. The air vents are also hexagonal in shape and exposed rather than behind hidden behind a full-width mesh.

Of more significance is the centre console that houses a push-button gear selector instead of a gear lever. This is flanked by a switch for the electronic parking brake as well as the drive mode selector (Comfort, GT, Sport and Individual) and a button to engage the new S+ Shift mode. If you’re wondering what that is, S+ Shift is Honda’s name for a system that emulates a virtual eight-speed transmission and enables the driver to “change cogs” using paddles on the steering wheel.

Honda says this “precisely controls the engine rpm during acceleration and deceleration to realise direct drive response and sharp gear shifting feel as if the vehicle features a stepped transmission system.” In combination Active Sound Control (ASC) that pipes engine sounds through the in-car speakers, both systems serve to make the driving experience more thrilling, which is necessary because the Prelude is a hybrid.

Said hybrid system is taken from the Civic e:HEV and is Honda’s Intelligent Multi-Mode Drive (i-MMD) based around a 2.0 litre naturally-aspirated inline-four petrol engine running on the Atkinson cycle. Rated at 141 PS (139 hp or 104 kW) at 6,000 rpm and 182 Nm of torque at 4,500 rpm, the LFC-H4 engine works with an electric motor to act as a generator for a battery.

This is then used to power a traction motor with 184 PS (181 hp or 135 kW) and 315 Nm to drive the front wheels. The engine can also be clutches in to directly driving the wheels at higher speeds when it is more efficient to do so. Total system output is listed at 203 PS (200 hp or 149 kW).

While the Prelude shares its hybrid system and bones with the Civic e:HEV, the former does receive some upgrades to its chassis reflective of its sporty persona. For instance, the dual-axis strut front suspension and adaptive dampers are taken from the Civic Type R, as are the four-piston Brembo brake callipers at the front finished in Prelude Blue – rotors are 13.8 inches at the front and 12 inches at the rear.

Honda Agile Handling Assist is also touted as being enhanced to improve steering responsiveness and stability during cornering, with a newly extended range of application including braking. This is said to enable seamless line-tracing from turn-in to corner exit, contributing to enhanced stability of vehicle behavior even in difficult situations such as obstacle avoidance. The driveshaft is also described as having uniform rigidity to suppress torque steer and enhance steering stability.

In terms of available equipment, the Prelude comes with 19-inch black wheels (with 235/40 profile tyres), wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay support, a wireless phone charger, an eight-speaker Bose sound system and a full Honda Sensing suite.

For the Japanese market, the Prelude is priced from 6,179,800 yen (about RM177k), which is considerably more than the Civic that sells for between 3,544,200 and 4,403,300 yen (RM101k and RM126k) – these prices include consumption tax.

If we compare the top-spec Civic (e:HEV EX) to the regular Prelude there, the latter is roughly 40% more expensive. Need even more price comparisons? The Prelude in Japan is more expensive than the regular Civic Type R that sells for 4,997,300 yen (RM143k) and the Accord that ranges from 5.599 million to 5,999,400 yen (RM160k to RM171k). In percentage terms, the Prelude costs nearly 24% more than the Civic Type R, and around 3% more than the most expensive Accord variant (e:HEV Honda Sensing 360). The Civic Type R is also offered in a Racing Black Package variant there priced at 6,179,800 yen (RM177k), which is priced identically to the Prelude.

Imagining a world where the Prelude is sold in Malaysia and through extrapolation, the hybrid coupe would theoretically (keyword) sell for RM235,060 if we apply the 40% mark up on the current, locally-assembled (CKD) Civic 2.0L e:HEV RS (RM167,900), or nearly RM495,876 if we apply the 24% up on the fully-imported (CBU) Civic Type R (RM399,900).

Japan also gets the Prelude in an exclusive Honda ON Limited Edition priced at 6,480,100 yen (RM185k) that features a Moonlit White Pearl exterior paired with a black-painted roof and side mirrors. Regular versions of the Prelude won’t have the black roof and side mirrors, although the latter is an available option from the genuine accessories catalogue along with various other aesthetic upgrades.

Standard hues offered are Moonlit White Pearl, Meteoroid Gray Metallic, Crystal Black Pearl and Flame Red, while the interior is in a blue and white theme or blue and black (Moonlit White Pearl only). The US-market Prelude comes in Winter Frost Pearl (with either a body-coloured or black roof), Meteorite Gray Metallic, Crystal Black Pearl, Rally Red and Boost Blue Pearl.

GALLERY: 2026 Honda Prelude (Japan market)

GALLERY: 2026 Honda Prelude (United States market)

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