Honda Prelude is back — and worth the wait

Sales are down, the model range is tiny, and the number of Australian dealers has dropped dramatically.

But despite the negatives, the positives are obvious in the latest showroom lineup.

The Civic is the reigning Car of the Year for Wheels magazine, the Accord is great, the HR-V is fun, and now comes the born-again Prelude.

It is a product of the deep, deep DNA that has made a Honda badge a safe haven for Australian shoppers since the 1970s.

It’s a car that looks good, is smooth and enjoyable to drive, has a hybrid connection, and is nicely priced from $65,000.

It could easily score another COTY win at the end of 2026.

Right now, it’s a car that shows smooth coupes still have a place in Australia despite the overwhelming urgency of big-brick pick-up trucks.

The Prelude would actually struggle to match a Ford Ranger from the stoplights, but its 135 kilowatts and 315 Newton-metres are more than enough once the road turns twisty.

It’s a light-duty hybrid with a 40-litre tank for unleaded and an electronic continuously variable transmission turning the front wheels.

What that means is a car that’s super-efficient, with claimed economy of 4.3 litres/100 kilometres, as well as responsive and quiet. It has fake ‘gears’ so you can pick and mix for the upcoming corners, but it’s generally a smooth, constant feed of power without going crazy.

When the four-cylinder combustion engine does its stuff, it spins smoothly with a nice exhaust note, but there is no sign of the feral craziness that marked the Type R models of the past as serious speed machines.

The Prelude’s cabin is reasonably roomy, although pinched in the back seats, with a driver-focussed dashboard layout and an infotainment screen that’s big enough but not so big that it distracts or spoils the view.

There are a variety of driving modes, accompanied by changes to the colour of the instruments, and the seats are well shaped and supportive without causing the entry-exit dramas of the old Type Rs.

As always in a Honda, the aircon is great but the sound system is a touch tinny.

The ride comfort is good, with excellent body control, but the grippy tyres can generate way too much noise on country surfaces. A small price, most likely, for Prelude buyers.

Honda is not expecting big numbers for the car, but is happy to have it back and confident it can help the brand consolidate its place in Australia despite the surging tide of Chinese imports.

The best thing is that it is new and different, and not just another mid-sized battery-box SUV.

HONDA PRELUDE

Price: from $65,000

Position: two-door hybrid coupe

Engine: 2-litre 4-cylinder petrol hybrid

Output: 135kW/315Nm

Gearbox: eCVT, front-wheel drive

Safety: not rated

The tick: a COTY contender