Why the mould-breaking Honda Prelude is 2026's best hybrid

It's something of a coupé coup for a modestly powerful, fairly affordable hybrid like the Honda Prelude to have come along in 2026 and achieved so much. Nobody would have imagined that a powertrain like the four-pot petrol-electric one in the Civic and CR-V could have been enlivened so effectively as it has in the Prelude, just via a bit of creative thinking and some make-believe gear ratios. Nobody would expect there to still be money to be made in the European market for mid-sized sporting coupés, from where the likes of Audi, Volkswagen, Peugeot and others have all packed up and fled - but where the Prelude now suddenly seems so uniquely placed. It's all textbook Honda: to have been away from this arena when the likes of the TT, Scirocco and RCZ were all cashing in, only to come back when the rest of the industry's attention is elsewhere. The Prelude may have been something of a front-wheel-drive technical pioneer in the 1980s and 1990s, but the sixth-generation car is still a bit of a change of gear (no pun intended). It's pretty in a way the previous ones never were. It's mechanically conventional, deriving its handling dynamism not from four-wheel steering or clever torque vectoring but by adopting a revised take on the chassis and suspension of the acclaimed Civic Type R hot hatch. And the hybrid powertrain that has brought the Prelude in for criticism in other parts of the world, where it had a greater reputation for performance in previous forms, looks ideal to give it a viable medium-term future in the UK and Europe. Right now, a great-looking car with an efficient electrified powertrain could be exactly what mature, sophisticated, empty-nester clientele are looking for. Moreover, when they drive the Prelude, those potential customers will find a car that delivers beyond its visuals. The car's handling is really impressive: flat, composed, super-precise and finely polished. It isn't firm-riding like the hot Civic on which it's based, either. And that hybrid powertrain may not be a stellar dynamic draw in itself, but it provides more than enough real-world, accessible performance to keep the chassis occupied and does a convincing enough impression of a paddle-shift automatic gearbox, including that genuinely revving four-cylinder engine (eat that, EVs), to complete the picture. The Prelude is easily the most interesting, encouraging new hybrid performance car to come along in 2026, and the offer of its talents for a rather reasonable price is the cherry on the cake.

main menu

Why the mould-breaking Honda Prelude is 2026's best hybrid

Nobody would have imagined the Civic's humble hybrid set-up would make a great coupé, but this is

More from Autocar