Honda has announced an all-new hybrid-electric Prelude sports coupe to be introduced in the U.S. late next year.
A press release on 17 December says the new prelude will mark the debut of Honda S+ Shift, returning one of the brand’s most iconic nameplates to the lineup.Â
Celebrating innovation
The Honda S+ Shift is an innovative new drive model that builds on the Linear Shift Control, and is designed to ensure the maximum driver engagement that the Prelude is known for.
Commenting on the new Prelude, assistant vice president of Honda Auto Sales, Jessika Laudermilk said:
“The return of the Honda Prelude as a hybrid-electric sports model demonstrates our continued commitment to offer a variety of exhilarating products to meet the needs of our customers. The first three products in the Honda lineup in the 1970s were Civic, Accord and Prelude, and soon all three will be back together again in our passenger car lineup as hybrids.”
The carâs concept first appeared in North America in 2023 at the Los Angeles Auto Show. However, its global debut was at the 2023 Japan Mobility Show, 45 years after the first-generation Prelude.
Several upgrades have been made to the model along the line, including the introduction of four-wheel steering (4WS) and torque vectoring Active Torque Transfer System (ATTS).
A key part of the broader goal
The new hybrid-electric Honda Prelude is a major part of Hondaâs greater goal for electrifying its vehicles. The company has a goal to attain carbon neutrality for all of its products and corporate activities by 2050.
By 2040, Honda intends to make battery-electric and fuel cell electric vehicles represent 100% of its vehicle sales, and Hybrid-electric vehicles are a key step in this Honda electrification strategy.
The company isnât very far from this goal, as it achieved record electrified vehicle sales in 2024, with electrified vehicles now representing more than a quarter of the brand’s total sales. It is also set to commence production of all-solid-state batteries in Japan next year.
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