Honda Prelude coupe looks set to return as a hybrid—in some markets, at least. But a manual transmission—something Honda offers in its first Insight hybrid coupe—may not be included.
Motor Trend reports that, despite speculation, the Revival of the prelude he will not have a change of staff. That's based on comments from Honda global chief executive Shinji Aoyama. The report says that Honda is considering adding an automatic transmission to a version of its dual-motor hybrid system used in the Civic to provide a more visceral shifting experience without a clutch pedal.
The Honda Prelude concept
Introduced in Japan in 1978, the Prelude for most of its existence was a sports coupe that featured subtle bodywork over reliable mechanical components shared with regular models. Production ended in 2002 with the fifth generation model.
Honda revealed the Prelude concept at the 2023 Tokyo motor show, saying at the time that they were looking at a production model. It then confirmed that production version for Europe, and while it hasn't announced similar plans for the US, Honda has renewed the trademark for the Prelude name in the US for 2023, which could pave the way for a new hybrid coupe in the market. .
The Honda Prelude concept
While a gearbox manual seems out of place with Honda's current two-motor system—which negates the need for anything resembling a conventional transmission—Honda has a history of stick-shift hybrids. The original Insight offered a 5-speed manual, while Honda offered a manual in the CR-Z, another hybrid that was intended to serve car enthusiasts as a replacement for the Honda CRX.
At Honda it is reported that they have built a manual transmission for EVs. It is being tested as one of the many possible features of the upcoming 0 series of dedicated models due to start arriving in 2026, but it is not guaranteed to be produced.