2025 Honda Prelude international test drive
The hotly anticipated return of a classic sports coupe is set to disappoint cult fans of the legendary car. This is why.
By the time the Prelude returns to Australia in 2026, it will be 25 years since the iconic badge was globally discontinued.
A lot has changed in the car world over the last quarter century. Back in 2001, sedans were still king, the Holden Commodore was Australia’s best-selling vehicle, and ubiquitous SUVs and dual-cab utes weren’t yet dominating our roads.
So why did Honda think now was the time to revive the two-door Prelude coupe?
Well, technically, they didn’t.
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As Honda chief executive Toshihiro Mibe says, his team decided they needed a sporty car in their line-up, and developed a product to fill that space.
The result, they decided, fit the vibe of a Prelude so they gave it that name.
“It wasn’t like we decided that you redevelop the Prelude in the first place. It was named after development,” Mibe said in a press conference.
Is it fair that I found this a bit disappointing?
The Prelude is a cult-classic car.
Could fans realistically expect the relaunched design – initiated without Prelude’s DNA in mind from the beginning – to live up to its name?
On a short drive around Honda’s testing track in Tochigi, I got a chance to find out.
The car’s specs look lacklustre on paper. The new Prelude is returning as a 2.0-litre hybrid, with the same powertrain already in some Civics and CR-Vs. This system uses two electric motors powered by either the EV battery or the engine. Typically, the electric motor will be driving the car, with the internal combustion engine only coming online for cruising at higher speeds.
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This matters because it means the relaunched Prelude does not have gears. As someone often underwhelmed by the soulless driving experience this can result in, I was dubious as to whether the Prelude would impress. Turns out I should have had more faith in Honda’s engineers.
I was given just three short laps of the Prelude on Honda’s testing track.
Along for the ride was a sensible-looking engineer in the passenger seat. His presence, perhaps, was there to gentle discourage hooning. There was no chance to fiddle with the screens and menus, or examine the interior too closely.
But I did quickly note two-tone white and blue front seats were visually striking, well-positioned, and comfortable. Bad luck if you’re in the back row, though.
They might do well in a pinch, but it would be cramped for longer trips. But honestly, who cares?
As soon as the seatbelts were clipped in, we were off. At the engineer’s instruction, the Prelude stayed in the normal drive mode for the first lap. While the car had zippy acceleration, and gripped onto the road nicely, it lacked any standout characteristic.
But things changed when I was allowed to turn on the “S+ shift mode”. When activated, this mode pumps up the engine sounds inside the cabin, and lets you change “gears” with steering wheel paddles. They are, of course, virtual. But the drive sensation, matched with the augmented engine sounds, make the experience extremely convincing. Down shifting was particularly fun. Honda has faithfully recreated the engine braking effect, and a throttle ‘blip’ on changing gears.
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But if you decide to ignore the paddles while in S+ shift mode, the car will change gears for you. A nice touch if you zone out, or want the feel of a sporty car, but don’t really understand (or care about) the mechanics of manual driving.
The drive felt like it was over before it began. From the outside, though, I could admire the aesthetics. This car looks like a weapon. It’s low and wide, with sleek body lines which flow down the car. The winged headlights adds modern visual interest to the front, and pair nicely with the otherwise restrained design.
Just don’t assume that because the Prelude looks a rocket, it will therefore drive like one.
This is not a blisteringly fast car.
Frankly, without the S+ Plus mode the Prelude could even be described as a touch insipid. The total system delivers just 143kW of power and 314Nm of torque.
That’s way off the manual Type R Civic, for example, which has 235kW/420Nm.
But you could argue that this too is in keeping with the Prelude’s ‘born to be mild’ history. The front-wheel drive Prelude only flirted with being a sporty. It’s aggressive styling belied a toothless drive. That’s how it came to be known disparagingly as a hairdresser’s car here in Australia, a secretary’s car in America.
That didn’t stop it from acquiring a following of loyalists who appreciated the sophisticated handling and clever engineering. If those things still matter to drivers, the new Prelude delivers where it counts.
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Originally published as 2025 Honda Prelude international test drive
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