New Prelude, based on Civic mechanicals, will be a new hero car for Honda’s electrified technologies.
Snappers caught it out testing in Germany recently. Styling clearly carries over from the show car that disrobed last year.
Notably it may even come with the offer of a manual-style transmission. The project head hasn’t ruled it out, at any rate.
It has been more than 20 years since Prelude production ended after the fifth generation in 2001. However, a revived electrified version with a 152kW/315Nm 2.0L hybrid powertrain is due to go on sale in 2026.
Regarding the manual style gearbox, project lead Tomoyuki Yamagami told Autocar UK that “the joy of driving is a top priority for us” especially he said when it’s a coupe. “With a manual transmission, it would be a very fun vehicle to be with” he added.
A manual transmission would be complex to fit to the firm’s current e:HEV hybrid system. This uses the motor for propulsion, with the engine acting as a generator to charge the battery. But the engine can also power the wheels at times. That would make implementation of any manual-type transmission difficult. Therefore, if offered on the upcoming Prelude, it would most likely be a simulated one, like the manual ‘transmission’ in the Ioniq 5 N.
The two-door coupe is likely front-wheel drive and it will come up against the likes of GR86 and MX-5.
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