Yahoo Autos Honda Prelude Returns To The U.S. Next Year As A Hybrid With Simulated Shifts Instead Of A Manual Transmission
Brace yourselves, because Honda is getting back into the sporty coupe business. On Tuesday the automaker announced that the Prelude will return to the U.S. in late 2025, two years after first debuting it in “concept” form. The downside? It sounds as if the new coupe won’t come with a manual transmission as was initially speculated.
That Prelude concept looked extremely production-ready when it was revealed, and judging by recent spy photos, the production model will look basically identical to the red version of the concept you see here. As we expected, Honda confirmed that the new Prelude will only be offered with its two-motor hybrid powertrain, and also announced that it will debut a new drive mode called Honda S+ Shift. The company says this feature will “enhance the driving experience” by delivering “maximum levels of driver engagement.” It’ll likely be a more aggressive version of a direct drive system, which uses fixed ratios instead of actual gears that are able to simulate gear changes.
Jessika Laudermilk, assistant vice president of Honda Auto Sales, says the Prelude’s return shows Honda’s commitment to offering different and exciting products for different customer’s needs. “The first three products in the Honda lineup in the 1970s were Civic, Accord and Prelude, and soon all three will be back together again in our passenger car lineup as hybrids,” Laudermilk said.
That’s about all we know about the new Prelude for now. Honda still has yet to show what the Prelude’s interior looks like; hopefully it’ll be fairly distinct from the Civic it’s based on. Other things like pricing and official specs likely won’t be known until sometime next year.
