Honda dusted off the Prelude nameplate for a concept unveiled in 2023, and it quickly confirmed the coupe is returning to showrooms. Spy shots showing a pre-production prototype testing in Germany strongly suggest that the next Prelude hasn’t changed much as it transitions into a production model.
While the psychedelic camouflage hides most of the finer design details, it’s clear that what we saw on the auto show floor in 2023 is pretty much what we’ll get in showrooms in 2025. The production car’s proportions are identical to the concept’s, and its front end is characterised by horizontal lights that stretch into a thin, single-slat grille. Even the shape of the front bumper looks pretty much unchanged.
The rear end keeps the concept’s light bar (one of the must-have styling cues of the 2020s) but appears to ditch the spoiler. That doesn’t mean a spoiler won’t be offered: It might only be available on select trims, or Honda could sell it as an accessory. Our spy photographers weren’t able to shoot the interior.
In hindsight, the concept Honda displayed in Tokyo last year was a thinly disguised production car. That doesn’t mean there’s nothing left to learn about the upcoming Prelude, however. One key detail still up in the air is what we’ll find under the bonnet. Honda confirmed the coupe will get hybrid power, and rumours suggest the brand is talking about a modified version of the system found in the 2025 Civic. It consists of a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine, an electric generator motor, and an electric propulsion motor. In the Civic, that driveline produces 200bhp and 232lbft of torque; whether or not those figures get a bump or a dip in the Prelude remains unknown.
We’d bet the cost of an oil filter for a third-gen Prelude that non-hybrid and Si trims are on their way, too. After all, the nameplate carries a great deal of performance heritage; Honda didn’t choose it randomly.
More details about the next-generation Honda Prelude will emerge in the coming months. It will be marketed as a relatively affordable coupe to take the torch from the Civic Coupe, which retired in 2020.
