With sleek looks, sharp steering and a playful side, the new Honda Prelude has plenty to tempt you, provided you can forgive the price and the rear seats writes Geraldine Herbert
What is it?
For five generations, the Honda Prelude was the car to choose if you wanted a sporty car but not quite a sports car.
The original arrived in 1978, followed by pop-up headlights, four-wheel steering and, eventually, VTEC performance. Four-wheel steering in 1987 was bordering on witchcraft. Then, in 2001, the Prelude disappeared.
Now it is back. Happily, this sixth-generation model is more than a much-loved badge dusted off for another outing. It is a sleek, full-hybrid coupe that combines everyday refinement with enough driving enjoyment to make the long way home rather tempting.
Styling
The Prelude is an elegant car. Its roofline sweeps neatly into the tail, while slim lighting gives it a distinctive presence.
There is something refreshing about a car that sits low, looks sleek and makes no attempt to convince you it needs to tackle a mountain on the school run. The proportions are graceful, and the result is beautiful to look at.
Whether that is enough to justify the price is another matter, but it certainly gets the conversation off to a good start.
Under the Bonnet
Power comes from a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine working with two electric motors. The hybrid setup is shared with the Honda Civic and produces 181bhp and 315Nm of torque.
Drive goes to the front wheels through an e-CVT automatic transmission. The sprint from 0 to 100km/h takes eight seconds, and top speed is 190km/h. Official fuel consumption is 5.2 litres per 100km.
There are four driving modes, Comfort, GT, Sport and Individual, which adjust the responses of the hybrid powertrain, suspension and steering.
This is not a reincarnated Type S demanding worship at the altar of the rev limiter. Honda has instead aimed for responsive performance, efficiency and refinement. Sensible virtues, admittedly, but ones that make a car much easier to live with.
Then there is Honda S+ Shift. It simulates an eight-speed transmission, so the car effectively pretends to change gears despite having no conventional stepped gearbox. It sounds like something that should be faintly ridiculous. In practice, it feels very convincing.
The Prelude will take you from A to B comfortably and efficiently. Select Sport, engage the S+ button and it becomes a nicely agile companion with sharp steering and a welcome sense of fun. It is not a Type R, but there is plenty here to enjoy.
What About Inside?
The cabin layout is clean, and visibility is good. A nine-inch touchscreen handles infotainment, with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, while a customisable 10.2-inch display supplies the driver information. An eight-speaker Bose sound system is also included.
There are four seats, although the rear two stretch the definition somewhat.
Our teenagers abandoned a planned cinema trip because neither was prepared to endure the journey in the back. If your passengers are old enough to negotiate, you may find those rear seats become extra storage rather quickly.
The boot holds just 264 litres, so shopping and luggage will also require a little restraint. Up front, however, the Prelude makes a much more convincing case for itself.
And Safety?
The Prelude comes with Honda Sensing, the brand’s suite of driver-assistance technologies. The Euro NCAP had not crash-tested it, so no independent crash-test rating is currently available for the model.
What Are My Options?
Choosing your Prelude is refreshingly straightforward: there is just one trim level, priced from €59,995.
That brings the 2.0-litre e hybrid powertrain, automatic transmission, Bose audio system, smartphone connectivity and Honda Sensing driver assistance.
CO₂ emissions are quoted at 117g/km, placing it in Irish motor tax band A6, with annual tax of €190.
Nearly €60,000 is a substantial sum for a 181bhp Honda coupe, even one wearing a name that will stir fond memories. You will need to value its looks and driving character as much as its specification sheet.
Rivals
Direct rivals are thin on the ground. The BMW 2 Series Coupe, priced from €58,175 is the main alternative.
That scarcity is part of the Prelude’s appeal. Stylish coupes have become an increasingly unusual sight, and Honda deserves credit for giving buyers another reason to consider one.
Verdict
Honda could have made the Prelude faster and given it a little more oomph. The rear seats could accommodate actual people more comfortably, and the boot could swallow more than a modest shopping expedition.
At €59,995, those are compromises you cannot simply ignore.
And yet the Prelude is beautiful to look at and genuinely fun to drive. Its sharp steering, agility and convincing S+ Shift give it a character that the numbers do not quite capture.
In the fantasy version of my life, the one with no children, no shopping and generally only me to think about, I would absolutely have one in the garage.
Expensive, impractical and a little short on power? Perhaps. But cars like the Prelude are so rare these days that it is remarkably easy to forgive it.
