Model research hub
Honda Prelude
MotorTrend says the Honda Prelude is back for 2026 with great looks, 200 hp, and a hybrid powertrain, though its first test found sharp handling and hybrid efficiency paired with a mixed personality. Car and Driver says the sixth-generation 2026 Honda Prelude is available only with a hybrid powertrain, with no option for a manual transmission, and that Honda's two-motor hybrid system, making 200 horsepower here, excels the same in the Prelude as it does in pretty much every other application, though it calls the coupe charming but one that doesn't pencil out. DesignNews says the 2026 Prelude uses a 2.0-liter Atkinson-cycle engine with a dual-motor hybrid system for 200 hp and 40 mpg, but that it returns as an efficient hybrid lacking the sporty soul of its predecessor, since by two orders of magnitude in sales, customers prefer Honda's hot-selling CR-V, now offered in hybrid and sporty TrailSport forms that will probably snag the kinds of customers who used to buy Preludes.
Back for 2026
MotorTrend (opens in a new tab) says the Honda Prelude is back for 2026 with great looks, 200 hp, and a hybrid powertrain, though its first test found sharp handling and hybrid efficiency paired with a mixed personality.
Hybrid-only, no manual
Car and Driver (opens in a new tab) says the sixth-generation 2026 Honda Prelude is available only with a hybrid powertrain, with no option for a manual transmission, and that Honda's two-motor hybrid system, making 200 horsepower here, excels the same in the Prelude as it does in pretty much every other application, though it calls the coupe charming but one that doesn't pencil out.
Missing its predecessor's sporty soul
DesignNews (opens in a new tab) says the 2026 Prelude uses a 2.0-liter Atkinson-cycle engine with a dual-motor hybrid system for 200 hp and 40 mpg, but that it returns as an efficient hybrid lacking the sporty soul of its predecessor, since by two orders of magnitude in sales, customers prefer Honda's hot-selling CR-V, now offered in hybrid and sporty TrailSport forms that will probably snag the kinds of customers who used to buy Preludes.
Questions buyers ask
How much horsepower does the 2026 Honda Prelude have?
MotorTrend (opens in a new tab) and Car and Driver (opens in a new tab) both say 200 hp.
Can you get a manual transmission in the 2026 Honda Prelude?
No — Car and Driver (opens in a new tab) says it's hybrid-only with no manual option.
Research map
Every major decision path.
The 2026 Honda Prelude is built around 2.0L Atkinson-cycle hybrid four-cylinder, rated at 200 horsepower across its hybrid sport coupe body style.
Explore this topic →02Trims and equipmentThe 2026 U.S. lineup has 2 trims.
Explore this topic →03Towing and capabilityThe 2026 Prelude seats 4 and is a Hybrid sport coupe.
Explore this topic →04Safety and ownershipNHTSA recalls, complaints and crash ratings for the 2026 Prelude.
Explore this topic →Current model year
2026 Honda Prelude
The revived Prelude returns as a single-powertrain hybrid coupe with Honda's S+ Shift simulated-gear paddle system; the two trims differ only by exterior treatment, not mechanicals.
Read specifications, trims, answers and sourcesModel-year archive
2 indexed Honda Prelude model years.
| Model year | Trims | Open record |
|---|---|---|
| 2027 Honda Prelude | 2027 record → | |
| 2026 Honda Prelude | 2026 record → |
Background and safety record
What public sources say about the Honda Prelude.
The Honda Prelude is a sport compact car produced by the Japanese company Honda. It was produced over five generations from 1978 to 2001, and reintroduced in 2025. For the first five generations, as a two-door coupe loosely derived from the Accord, the Prelude was the first Honda to feature a moonroof, a feature that remained standard equipment throughout its production.
Source: Honda Prelude (Wikipedia); safety and recall figures from NHTSA.
Honda Prelude at a glance
- Production
- November 1978 – October 2001, August 2025 – present
- Assembly
- Japan: Sayama, Saitama (1978–2001); Yorii, Saitama (2025–present)
- Class
- Sport compact car
- Body style
- 2-door notchback coupe (1978–2001), 3-door liftback coupe (2025–present)
- Layout
- Front-engine, front-wheel-drive
- Predecessor
- Honda 145 coupé
Honda Prelude generations
The Honda Prelude has been redesigned in 1982, 1987, 1991, 1996, 2025, gaps of 4, 5, 4, 5, 29 years, an average of 9.4 years between generations. The current generation (sixth generation, BF1) began in 2025.
| Generation | Code | Began | What changed |
|---|---|---|---|
| First generation | SN | 1978–1982 | On 24 November 1978, the Prelude was launched to the Japanese market. |
| Second generation | AB/BA1/2/3/6/BB | 1982–1987 | The second-generation Prelude was released in Japan on 25 November 1982 and worldwide in the spring of 1983. |
| Third generation | BA3/4/5/7 | 1987–1991 | On 9 April 1987, the third-generation Prelude was released in the Japanese domestic market and released later that year worldwide, being a 1988 model in North America. |
| Fourth generation | BA8/9/BB1/2/3/4 | 1991–1996 | On 19 September 1991, the fourth-generation Prelude was introduced in Japan, and in Europe from early 1992. |
| Fifth generation | BB5/6/7/8/9 | 1996–2025 | Introduced on 7 November 1996, the fifth-generation Prelude retained an FWD layout with an independent front suspension. |
| Sixth generation | BF1 | 2025–present | The Prelude nameplate has been revived for a hybrid electric concept car, showcased at the 2023 Japan Mobility Show, and subsequently shown in North America at the Los Angeles Auto Show. |
Year by year
The Honda Prelude across 2 model years.
| Model year | Combined MPG/MPGe | EPA annual fuel cost | EPA records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 Honda Prelude | 44 | $1,450 | 1 |
| 2026 Honda Prelude | 44 | $1,400 | 1 |
Trim by trim
Every 2026 Honda Prelude trim side by side.
| Trim | Drive | Engine | Horsepower | Torque (lb-ft) | Curb weight (lb) | Max towing (lb) | Combined mpg | Base price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Base | FWD | 2.0-liter 4-cylinder (Hybrid) | 200 | 134 | 3,261 | – | 44 | – |
| 2-Tone | FWD | 2.0-liter 4-cylinder (Hybrid) | 200 | 134 | 3,261 | – | 44 | $43,695 |
Source: Kelley Blue Book specifications for the 2026 model year; base price is KBB's national base price where its list carries the trim by the same name. A dash means KBB lists no figure.
Compared with
Models this Honda Prelude is most often compared with.
Nearest Honda models
Other Honda models.
Frequent questions
Answers with their conditions intact.
Q01How many trims does the 2026 Prelude come in?
The 2026 Honda Prelude (hybrid sport coupe) comes in 2 trims: Hybrid, Hybrid Two-Tone.
Q02What are the 2026 Prelude trims?
The 2026 Honda Prelude trims are Hybrid, Hybrid Two-Tone, listed from the entry Hybrid up to the top Hybrid Two-Tone.
Q03What engine or powertrain does the 2026 Prelude use?
The 2026 Honda Prelude is built around 2.0L Atkinson-cycle hybrid four-cylinder, rated at 200 horsepower across its hybrid sport coupe body style.
Q04How much horsepower does the 2026 Prelude have?
The 2026 Honda Prelude is rated at 200 horsepower (2.0L Atkinson-cycle hybrid four-cylinder).
Q05Is AWD or 4WD available on the 2026 Prelude?
The 2026 Honda Prelude is offered with FWD.