IT WAS ALWAYS A DESIRABLE and successful coupe, so when the Prelude was delisted in Australia 24 years ago (and nearly 30 years after making its debut here), enthusiasts were understandably dismayed.
Now, Honda has announced that the Prelude will be relaunched in the Australian market in mid-2026.
“We’re thrilled to add this iconic nameplate to the Honda line up next year. Prelude taps into a rare combination of nostalgia and performance with broad appeal across generations of Honda customers, old and new,” said Director of Automotive at Honda Australia, Robert Thorp.
The new Prelude is a specialty sports model that embodies Honda’s unchanging sports mindset that inherits the “joy of manoeuvring ” in the era of full-fledged electrification, pursuing environmental performance and ease of use in everyday life.
Grand Concept “UNLIMITED GLIDE”-Feeling
The new Prelude is based on the idea of a glider that can fly freely in the sky, aiming to be a car that gives a sense of exhilaration and extraordinary excitement as if gliding gracefully, and has the grand concept of “UNLIMITED GLIDE”. It has the proportions of universal functional beauty that spreads its wings wide and soars in the sky, providing a special time that will make you want to go anywhere, like a dynamic yet smooth turning glider. This model is a prelude to a new “specialty sport” in the era of electrification that further evolves Honda’s unique hybrid system “e:HEV” and inherits the “joy of manoeuvring” while also pursuing environmental performance and ease of use in everyday life.
Exterior design
In addition to the low and sharp front nose as well as the smooth and sleek body line that creates a glider-like exhilaration, the low and wide stance evokes dynamic driving. In addition, the design embodies a specialty car, such as headlights inspired by gliders, flush outer handles that achieve smooth and clean door panels, and black chrome plating on the front grille that expresses quality.
Interior design
The interior is also designed to give a sense of exhilaration of gliding, aimed at creating a comfortable space not only for the driver but also for the front passenger. The main colour of the interior, “blue/white”, expresses the concept of Prelude with a light white and deep blue coordination. The instrument panel is made with detailed intricacies such as an ivory skin that gives a sense of warmth like Japanese paper and embroidery with the Prelude logo.
In addition, the driver’s seat and the passenger seat have different specifications, the driver’s seat is a seat with increased hold suitable for sports driving, while the passenger seat provides a moderately wrapped comfort. Low stance with clear horizontal visibility, a D-shaped design steering wheel, and a full-graphic meter exclusive to PRELUDE raise expectations for driving.
Package design
As a specialty car of the new era with new value, Honda says it aimed to create a package that balances the contradictory elements of “special” and “multipurpose and versatile”.
The wide and low and smooth body provides proper proportions of specialty sports, as well as the large-diameter tires and optimal wheelbase enable high dynamic performance.
On the other hand, the tailgate-type luggage compartment with a wide opening makes it easy to put in and take out luggage, the rear seat folding mechanism that can load various luggage, the storage space under the floorboard, and hooks for hanging shopping bags, making it a highly usable luggage compartment.
History of the Prelude
From the first generation launched in 1978 to the five generations, the Prelude has always been ahead of its time as an advanced FF specialty car, adopting most advanced technologies in each generation, such as the first electric sunroof of a domestic car, an anti-lock braking system (ABS), and the world’s first four-wheel steering system (4WS). The new Prelude, which is the sixth generation, will be revived for the first time in 24 years as a hybrid specialty car in the era of electrification.