Now that we’re in the second half of 2025, the countdown to the new 2026 Honda Prelude is officially on. As expected, the information roll-out is a bit of a slow burn, but Honda has officially confirmed that the new Prelude will use the same fancy dual-axis front suspension as the hot Civic Type R, which bodes well for the purported handling prowess of this hybrid coupe.
A normal MacPherson Strut front suspension uses the strut top as an upper pivot point, meaning the steering axis is basically an imaginary line descending diagonally from the top of the strut through the ball joint on the lower control arm. It’s a cheap setup to make, but the sheer angle of the steering axis can result in sub-optimal center offset—the distance between the steering axis and the center of the contact patch when measured at the hub. With wide wheels and tires on a front-wheel-drive car requiring relatively low offsets to clear hard points on the vehicle while turning, it’s common for sport compact cars to have enough center offset to exacerbate torque-steer, so Honda came up with its own fairly simple solution:
Spacer
By putting the damper on a cast fork like many all-wheel-drive versions of rear-wheel-drive cars use for their front suspensions, and connecting the knuckle to that fork using an upper ball joint, Honda’s changed the steering axis of its high-performance MacPherson Strut suspension to be flatter and far closer to the center of the contact patch at the hub. This allows for substantially wider tires, a smaller center offset, and a more advantageous scrub radius, which decreases torque steer and increases roadholding. The Dual Axis Strut setup is a significant part of why the Civic Type R drives so nicely, and it should be up to the task of keeping electrified torque under control.
Speaking of Type R parts, Honda also confirmed that the Brembo front brakes on the new Prelude are the same parts you get on a Civic Type R, meaning four-piston aluminum front calipers and two-piece discs, and track widths are identical between the Prelude coupe and the Civic Type R hot hatch. Of course, there will be calibration differences between the two models, from the blended pedal calibration for the Prelude’s hybrid system to damper tuning that Honda promises is more road-focused.
Of course, two big unknowns remain around the new Prelude, one of which we have somewhat of a bead on, and another that’s anyone’s guess. First up, power for North American models. Honda has confirmed to Top Gear that the Prelude uses more or less the same powertrain as the Civic Hybrid, and that European models will get 181 horsepower. Will North American examples get the same 204 horsepower as the U.S.-market Civic Hybrid? Quite possibly, although the addition of a simulated manumatic mode leaves a touch of a question mark hovering over this area. Considering it wouldn’t make much marketing sense for the U.S.-market Prelude to make less power than the Civic Hybrid, America getting a more potent Prelude than Europe seems plausible.
The second big question, of course, is price. If Honda can keep the Prelude’s base price within a few thousand dollars of the $31,645 that a 2026 Civic Sport Hybrid Hatchback commands, there shouldn’t be too much issue shifting units, even if it is a niche car. However, if pricing comes in substantially higher, the already niche proposition of a three-door liftback coupe could get even more niche. I guess we’ll find out closer to the end of this year, when the 2026 Honda Prelude is expected to roll into North American dealerships.
Top graphic image: Honda
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OK so it’s not as bad as the Blazer or the Mustang Mach-E, but I kind of feel like the Prelude name isn’t quite appropriate here. To me a Prelude was always a sporty version of an Accord with compromises, not something based on a Civic. I’ll let it get away with it though because the current Civic is bigger, longer, wider, and heavier than most previous Accords.
I don’t understand why car companies design these complicated strut suspensions (see also: the Toyota Super-Strut) when they could just use double wishbones.
I think in this case the base platform it’s built on is MacPherson based, with the volume cars being base models. It’s cheaper to come up with a custom MacPherson strut that they sell on the relatively limited production high performance models and not having to modify the frame/body of the car for the mounts the upper four link would also avoid, or at least potentially minimize, having to re-certify for crash safety and other re-design impacts.
Instead of the old way where regular cars had some slight upgrades because the performance model had to fit, now it’s the performance model is taken down a notch because of the regular car has to fit.
And that’s why I don’t want anything they make these days.
That’s neat, appreciate the explanation. Seems like it would add quite a bit of sprung mass to the suspension tho. Also, man, huge honda geek here but I can’t get on board with the styling of this Prelude. It’s like all the details in front sit too high on the form. Looks awful.
How does this compare with “virtual ball” suspension? or this is a form of that?
I need to replace my Prius soon enough, and something more fun for commuting, that is still reliable, and that doesn’t punish me at the gas pump would be very intriguing.
Although part of me has reached the point in life where something like a Lexus ES300h is attractive these days – just a comfortable place to spend the commute. I guess maybe a Crown Signia if I want some more utility than a sedan.
I’m also not sure how this drivetrain hasn’t made it into the Integra. Especially since I suspect its pricing will be in between the base Integra and the Type S.
I have been repeatedly hurt by the Prelude Curse and I’m hungry for more
Man, this thing would so sick with a stick. Make it land somewhere between the Civic Si and Type R, but with the refined styling, and (hopefully) reasonable price.
This would be amazing with the Si drivetrain, make the limited-slip diff standard to differentiate it and add adaptive suspension for the premium buyer and it’ll be a very attractive package.
The idea of a hybrid + stick is really appealing to me. My next car will either be a stick or a hybrid, but to not have to decide between the two would be awesome. I do agree, however, that the Prelude + Si drivetrain + Type R trick suspension + LSD would be wonderful vehicle. Almost good enough to put up with car seats in the back of a coupe.
Me too, a mild-hybrid could make the modern manual a lot nicer to drive, for example a blip of regen braking on the flywheel could forcibly drop revs on an up-shift, eliminating rev-hang, and the same on an up-shift, mitigating throttle lag.
It would also make it possible to run a peaky N/A VTEC engine with lots of character without sacrificing drivability. Sadly, I feel like that ship has mostly sailed since Honda fumbled the CR-Z (it was good, but they really needed to have a more powerful enging paired to the IMA system if they wanted to sell sports cars, and they really needed backseat if they wanted to sell hatchbacks).
Yea, the CR-Z flop was disappointing because the solution was really right there, Honda did have higher HP engines that they could have used.
Okay, now give it the Type R drivetrain but don’t screw with the styling.
I find myself quite intrigued by this, and plan on taking a test drive, but I can’t really imagine trading my BRZ for one at this point. I think it’ll be good but I’m afraid it’s going to be another CR-Z in the US market, not meeting the sporting expectations/nostalgia of enthusiasts while simply being too small for US tastes overall. If they do keep the price low that will help a lot though, fingers crossed.
I really want to like it, but I can’t deal with the front end treatment. Looks better on the Prius.
It’s because it sits too high on the form of the car itself. Just winds up looking super awkward.
This design doesn’t recapture the goodness of the late-80’s and 90’s Hondas with the SLA front suspension. For example, camber change with body roll is still rather weak. It’s better than nothing, I suppose.
I’m struggling to figure out why someone looking for a 2 door coupe would get the Prelude over something like a Brz/GR86 or BMW 2 or even a Miata. The Prelude will probably be priced at the higher end comparatively and the only advantage it has is being a hybrid? I don’t know but if I’m shopping for a fun daily, MPG considerations aren’t at the top of the list. I want it to succeed and it will probably be the most reliable and robust vehicle in the category but I don’t think that’s enough for it to be a huge hit.
Maybe someone who’d buy an automatic GRZ as a daily? The hatch makes it a little more practical, too, because the small trunk opening makes loading more difficult in the twins. I would be surprised if that’s a big market.
They better not keep those stupid electric door handles. FFS WHY?
I really want to like this and details like this move the needle a bit, but I wish it was better looking. I love the idea of a sporty yet economical coupe for a fun daily, but this isn’t really any cooler or better looking to me than the Civic hatch for the loss in practicality.
I had a 2019 Civic coupe as a killer lease deal when I worked for Honda and I still look back on it wistfully compared to my current Mazda3, even though it had a CVT vs the manual in the 3.
And…. now I’m going to spend the afternoon looking for a used Si coupe.
I’m really warming up to this. Especially since it was confirmed as a real hatch. Any thoughts on how durable that front suspension configuration would be? The potholes want to know…
I’m put off by the gimmicky sport/shift emulation stuff they are talking about. Hopefully that doesn’t add too much cost and complexity.
I hope they start teasing available colours soon and have some exciting ones to choose from. The red is ok, but use some imagination!
My guess is the price of this will start about $40K but most will be stickered in the mid 40’s, all but ruining its chances to be found 10 years from now as only a small number of people (basically the readers here) will actually appreciate the suspension and brake improvements. I like the car, and the Prelude was never supposed to be cheap, but I just dont see a coupe that is not exceptionally unique/high performing to survive in this market when the Civic hybrid will be almost as capable as this but have 4 doors. The Civic Type R is at the top for those who want the craziness and it won’t cost that much more, and its also a 4 door….
This is the car I’m the most excited for. I test drove the standard Civic Hybrid and it was honestly quite fun. Nice and peppy, and drove well. If they sufficiently shorten the wheelbase, which should cut some weight, I could see this getting to 60 in probably six seconds or under. I’ve never had the opportunity to drive a CTR (as I cannot yet drive stick) but the standard Civic was honestly pretty excellent in terms of handling and steering feel. I’m also excited to see how Honda will mimic a more sporty transmission. The hybrid felt pretty similar to a well tuned torque converter to me. If they nail a fake transmission like Hyundai did in their electric N cars, that’s a big plus. The last question is cost. If they keep it closer to the top trim of the Civic Hybrid than the CTR, that’d be another big win for them. Unless the dealers do what they do best.
I would really love to see them slap a big electric motor in the back instead of (or in addition to) the front but I recognize that it would add a lot more complexity and cost.
But to get to my point: a smaller, more fun coupe with plenty of cargo space and excellent fuel economy is exactly what I’m looking for. The BRZ/GR86 do interest me too, but the fuel economy on those two is HORRIBLE. The Miata is much better, but fails at the practicality side of things. I would struggle to fit all my skateboarding gear in a Miata. Not so for a lift back like this new Prelude.
This is the perfect car except for the name. The older Prelude generations had very pronounced bumps on the hood where the headlights went as the rest of the hood tapered in. That is completely gone from this model. Give it a new name since you gave it a new and very different face.
I’m certainly not a potential Prelude customer but I’m very interested to see how well Honda executes this car’s rather peculiar mission. It’s no secret that outside of very expensive, specialized cars electrification doesn’t necessarily lend itself to engagement…but it’s the present and future, and while a certain small-ish but remarkably loud segment of enthusiasts claim they’ll never give it a shot I think the majority of us are intrigued by the possibilities.
And as someone who tries to be conscientious of their carbon footprint I’ve always struggled to justify potentially owning something that’s a gas hog. My Kona N is uhhhhh not great on that front but it’s still better than most ICE stuff that makes 300ish and above horsepower. Performance hybrids are a neat answer to this conundrum because they maintain some of the benefits of ICE but minimize the downsides.
Anyway, on paper the handling goodies from arguably the most universally loved front wheel drive enthusiast car of all time mixed with the hybrid powertrain that gets the platform mate Civic (which already has very good dynamics for what it is) to 60 in the low 6s should result in a pretty fun car….and Honda knows what it’s doing with both hybrids and front wheel drive dynamics.
Honestly if they gave the Civic or Integra a trim that included this powertrain and all of these goodies I’d probably buy it tomorrow….and I don’t think I’m the only one. But the Integra just got its mid cycle refresh and is conspicuously still devoid of a hybrid 🙁
^This, except I am the market segment for a coupe. Hybrids can be fun if they’re designed that way and from the reviews of the Civic hybrid, Honda might have figured it out.
No Integra hybrid is nuts to me. Who wants their Integra to be slower than a Civic Hybrid?
Intregra would be the perfect name for a car that combined a gas engine with an electric motor.
I really am puzzled as to why Acura continues to have 0 hybrids. The ADX and Integra in particular are begging for them. The 1.5 liter/CVT combo has absolutely no business being in a luxury product.
I am excited for another mass-produced coupe, but C’Mon Honda. This is giving me CR-Z vibes. An exciting car with a meh Hybrid powertrain. Can we get a Prelude Type-R? Pretty please?
Car and Driver got the Civic with this engine to 60 in the low 6s. That’s more than enough to have fun with.
Yeah, but I wouldn’t say no to one of these with an extra 50 electric HP crammed between the rear wheels.
Nor would I, my friend. Nor would I…
I agree. I think this will be more of a grown up GT than a rice racer. 204HP and probably around 3200lbs curb should be just fine. Once they hit the used market, I’m guessing plenty will be hacked up and modified to go race Altimas, sadly.
There has never been a Prelude Type R in Honda’s history and it’s completely antithetical to the very nature of the Prelude to have some kind of some crazy performance version of it. The new one is exactly what the Prelude always was – a comfortable, understated GT car that handles well and can get out of its own way.
The new car’s not really comparable to older Preludes, though. It’s a smaller cab-forward three-door liftback based on the Civic, which makes it closer in execution to the Integra. Preludes were traditionally cab-rearward fixed-trunk Accord-based coupes.
If most of the Prelude’s traditional characteristics are being eschewed, I don’t see how a Type R version would be out of the question, especially given the commonality with the Civic.
I don’t think this will sell in huge numbers, but a lot of people seem to have knives out for this car. Coupes are such a tiny market now and it won’t sell near what past generations did. People also forget that the Prelude sold most when it was in the “nice”/premium-ish “sports coupe” niche (2nd and 3rd generations). I never considered Prelude a true sports car. This ain’t the 90’s pre-bubble Japanese era, and you can’t walk into a Honda showroom and get your choice of a Prelude, Civic & Accord coupes, and Civic and Accord 2-door hatchbacks- all at the same time. So it’s a hybrid Civic Si coupe- that’s not a bad thing. I might be in the market for this had I not just bought a Civic hybrid hatch. Methinks the people crying about this the most aren’t getting one with 550 fico scores anyway. If a few people decide this is more fun and makes more sense than schlepping around in a 5 or 7 passengers CUV with no passengers in it, then I’ll be happy to see them on the road.
The more I find out about this car, the more it seems to fit my needs. Hybrid, good looking, sporty coupe. Leave it to Honda to make the first affordable, fun hybrid
IIRC, the DC5 Integra had a similar situation where all of the extra structural reinforcements that would normally be reserved for the Type R version were actually baked into the entire range.
I’ve thought a Honda hybrid combined with the suspension tuning from the Type R/Si could result in a pretty fun setup. Hopefully the limited slip diff from the CTR is a possibility in the Prelude.
The existence of the Prelude and now this news makes me far less mad about the discontinuation of the Civic coupe.
The more reading I do on the Prelude, the more I think “this is really just a new 2 door civic”
With which there is nothing at all wrong.
No, no there is not. That was not meant to degrade the car, merely acknowledge its heritage. I’m of the proper age that my favorite Civics are EF Hatch and CRX.
So the benefits of a double wishbone with the complexity of a strut?
I’m a strut hater, but all I see is a more complex double wishbone set up.
Maybe a real engineer can tell me I am wrong.
Edit: Seems I’m not too far off base in it resembling a double wishbone:
https://fisherdiscount.com/blogs/news/honda-double-wishbone-vs-dual-axis-strut-suspension-explained?srsltid=AfmBOoroHbcH1L5cKgvFa0rstDFnGOOk8L6QL7DS0LQXA00WcZQjxuaR
Similar, but it packages better than a double wishbone in a FWD setup. Packaging is a big reason the MacPherson is so prolific.
It’s basically a MacPherson strut with a more customizable steering axis. As far as I can tell, it still has all the same compromises as a strut setup with regards to roll center, roll camber gain, compliance, etc. (also positive compromises like packaging of course).
As mentioned before, GM and Ford have both used this same basic setup
It’s nothing ground breaking for sure, but it works really well. I daily an type R and it has less torque steer than any front wheel drive car I’ve ever been in. The only time it gets western is snap camber changes, you have time your power input.
I will also say, I think the electronic LSD is a big help that doesn’t get mentioned to often.
The New Honda Prelude Will Officially Get The
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Also Ford Revoknuckle
True!