Cars in Review: 2026 Honda Prelude

I figured why not stick to the going theme of feeling happy and publish another car from the same brand that exudes those good vibes. That’s right Honda. For this week’s Cars in Review, we will be changing it up a bit, and writing about a 2026 car. It’s hard to believe that Christmas is only 76 days away, and yes I’m counting down!

The 2026 Honda Prelude still doesn’t fully have all of the information associated with it released yet, but be sure to reference this blog as well as do some of your own research to learn all you possibly can about it.  

Overview and What’s New for 2026

Now although Honda released a 2026 version of this vehicle, nothing about the nameplate is new. Actually, the Prelude has a history that dates back to 1978 when the first of five generations were produced. The fifth and last generation was produced back in 2001 and was re-released with modifications made to the original design in 2025. The Prelude derives from the Accord believe it or not, and was the first Honda to feature a moonroof – a feature that remained standard equipment across all future models produced under this brand name. It was introduced to replace the coupe version of the Civic that was discontinued years ago and is only available in certain markets – Canada, the United States, Japan, Europe, and Australia. 

Did You Know: The Prelude was actually introduced and trademarked under the Toyota brand name but they graciously allowed Honda to make, produce, and sell under their own brand name?

When looking at this car’s exterior and interior setups, it’s not hard to tell that it has key defining factors from other models offered in Honda’s lineup. Take for instance the suspension bits and sporty sounds, you know the ones, the low yet satisfying growl from the exhaust system, which actually comes from the Civic Type R. Plus not to mention, another two features all too familiar to Honda fans, upgraded front brakes and a gas-electric powertrain. Honda has done a good job of continuing on the new heightened trend of offering their popular vehicles in hybrid options, and this car really has the potential to be the next big thing. Keep reading to find out in the sections below what else Honda offered as new for the 2026 version. 

Pricing and Which One to Buy

Honda only offers the Prelude in one model option and it’s expected that the price will be starting at around $42,000, but considering it is a fully loaded trim level, the higher initial pricing does make sense. The only real freedom so to speak with this car will be with the colour selection you have to choose from. Other than this, there aren’t any stand-alone options offered except for the accessories.   

Engine, Transmission, and Performance

The 2026 Honda Prelude comes with a hybrid powertrain that consists of a 2.0 litre 4 cylinder engine, and one electric motor, giving this car the capability to make 200 horsepower. Honda decided to put a CVT transmission into this car which shouldn’t come as a surprise since majority of their popular models have this transmission type offered. Now, there is a reason Honda chooses to do this since CVT transmissions offer a smoother ride all around, it helps to avoid the “shift shock” from regular transmissions, and it significantly reduces fuel consumption since it allows the engine to remain functioning at its optimal power and efficiency range more often. 

The same powertrain is found in the Civic Hybrids as well, and although this car doesn’t quite meet the rev-happy standards of previous editions, it still falls within the small range as other vehicles in its class, such as Mazda’s MX-5 Miata, and Toyota’s 86.    

Although this car definitely has the potential to be offered with a manual transmission, Honda decided not to go through with this addition. Rather, they offered the Prelude with a new S+ Shift system, which actually might be able to recreate the same energy and vibe given the inclusion of paddle shifters and the faux rev-matching capability.   

Interior, Comfort, and Cargo

The 2026 Prelude takes a lot of inspiration for its interior design from the Civic, however, it changes things up with different coloured upholstery and trim choices. It is expected that standard offerings for this car will include heated front seats and contrasting stitching. Unfortunately if you were hoping for a comfortable back seat ride, it doesn’t look like that is going to be possible. It is expected that the spacing will be tight, with the automaker even going as far as claiming the rear leg space will only measure to 32 inches, less than the 2020 Civic Coupe’s 39.5 inches. Since this car is also known under the hatchback classification, you might want to kiss trunk space goodbye completely. The trunk is only accessible through a lift back, although the rear seats can fold to expand the cargo area.   

Infotainment and Connectivity

When it comes to the infotainment and connectivity section one will find this setup closely mimics the one in the upper trim level Civic. It comes equipped with a 9.0 inch center touchscreen and a 10.2 inch digital gauge cluster display. The screen itself is powered through Google providing access to features like Google Assistant, Google Maps, and other apps via Google Play as well as a complimentary 3 year data plan. A wireless charging pad and Wi-Fi hotspot are also available but smartphones (Android and Apple) can be paired wirelessly as well. 

For the audio system Honda decided to add an 8 speaker Bose Centerpoint Premium Sound System which helps to deliver the best and most optimal listening experience that can be had in this vehicle.

Safety and Driver Assistance Features

Since Honda only offered this car in one trim choice and no optional features, they packed it with safety features, so another reason as to why the price tag is so high. Standard safety features include: 

• Adaptive cruise control 
• Lane keeping assist 
• Automated emergency braking
• Traffic sign recognition 
• Automatic high beams
• Driver attention monitor 
• Blind spot monitoring with rear cross traffic alert 

It also comes equipped with the Honda Sensing suite of driver assist technology that includes, but is not limited to the following, Collision Mitigation Braking System with Pedestrian Detection, and Blind Spot Monitoring, just like the 2017 Honda CR-V we wrote about in the last post.

Warranty and Maintenance Coverage

It is expected that the Prelude will come with the same warranty and maintenance packages that all of the other Honda cars are offered with, which is considered to be average in terms of the amount of coverage when compared to the other manufacturers. Its limited warranty covers three years or 36,000 miles, powertrain covers five years or 60,000 miles, and the hybrid warranty covers eight years or 100,000 miles. Complimentary warranty is also an option offered with this vehicle that covers one year or 12,000 miles.  

Final Thoughts

Admittedly this post was hard to write given that not much details were released on this car yet however, since you made it to the end of this post, leave your thoughts in the comments below, what are your first initial thoughts on this release?