Honda Prelude set for NZ next year

Damien O’Carroll

  • Sign in required

    Please sign in to your account to add a vehicle to favourite

  • Share this article

Honda New Zealand has revealed that the reborn Prelude two-door sports coupe will be arriving on our shores in the middle of next year

“We’re proud to announce the return of the legendary Prelude to the Honda line-up next year," said Managing Director of Automotive at Honda New Zealand, Carolyn McMahon.

Honda New Zealand has confirmed that the new Prelude will be here in the middle of next year.

"This iconic nameplate evokes a deep sense of nostalgia while delivering the kind of performance that defines Honda. It’s a car that speaks to the hearts of long-time fans and new drivers alike—bridging generations with 
timeless appeal."

While Honda has shown the new incarnation of the Prelude extensively, and has revealed details about its suspension set up, as well as its interior, the company has yet to reveal much detail about what will power it, other than to say the powertrain "further evolves" the company's e:HEV hybrid set up.

The new Prelude will go into production this year, 24 years after the end of the 5th generation car's production run.

The Prelude is set to use the same hybrid setup found in the Civic Hybrid - a 2.0-litre Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder paired with dual electric motors - but the company has revealed little in the way of specifics.

In the Civic the powertrain produces 149kW and 315Nm of total combined output, but rumours suggest that the Prelude could get a slight power bump over this, but likely not more than its most direct rival, the 170kW/250Nm Toyota GR86 and its twin, the Subaru BRZ.

Honda has confirmed that the Prelude will use its new dual-axis front suspension set up currently only used in the Civic Type R, while also inheriting the hot hatch's Brembo front brakes and wider track.

The new Prelude will use the dual-axis front suspension from the Civic Type R hot hatch.

While there will not be a manual version of the Prelude, it will use a new "S+ Shift mode" that Honda says "finely controls engine RPM across all acceleration and deceleration ranges" and effectively offers simulated gear shifts.

The latest incarnation of the Prelude will be the sixth generation of the iconic nameplate first launch in 1978, and comes 24 years after production of the fifth generation model ended in 2001. Production of the new model is set to begin this year, with the Prelude slated to go in sale in the USA in "late 2025".