Honda offers include eight-year warranty, thousands off hybrid SUVs
The offer includes all versions of the Honda HR-V small SUV and both the CR-V and ZR-V mid-size SUVs.
But they must be purchased between July 1 and September 30, 2025, and the warranty coverage for vehicles used for commercial purposes is limited to 225,000km.
CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal.
In effect, it means that all HR-V, ZR-V and CR-V vehicles purchased over the next two months will be backed by the Honda Extend warranty, which increases Honda's standard five-year, unlimited-km factory warranty by up to three years if a vehicle is serviced on time by an official Honda service centre.
Commercial buyers are normally excluded from the Honda Extend program.
In addition, to clear old stock Honda is also offering big discounts on certain 2024-built ZR-V and CR-V vehicles.
MY24 examples of the flagship CR-V e:HEV RS hybrid are now available for $56,900 drive-away, representing a $3000 saving from its normal price of $59,900 drive-away.
Buyers of 2024-built mid-range CR-V VTi L variants will receive a $2400 price reduction, from $49,300 to $46,900 drive-away.
Similarly, MY24 examples of the smaller ZR-V e:HEV LX hybrid flagship are now $3000 cheaper at $51,900 drive-away (normally $54,900 drive-away).
Additionally, all non-hybrid MY24 CR-V and ZR-V vehicles will come with a $500 e-Gift Card.
MY25 starting prices remain unchanged at $34,900 drive-away for the HR-V, $37,900 drive-away for the ZR-V and $41,900 drive-away for the CR-V.
Honda Australia currently only sells five models, including the Civic and Accord in addition to these three SUVs.
Sales of all model lines were down in the first half of 2025, except for the HR-V which was up by 39 per cent, leading to a 7.3 per cent overall sales slide for the Japanese brand this year.
While the third-generation HR-V was launched in Australia in April 2022, the first ZR-V was released here in June 2023 and its sales are down 27.7 per cent so far this year, and the sixth-generation CR-V was launched locally in September 2023 and its sales are down by 10 per cent to June 2025.
The CR-V remains Honda Australia's best-seller with 3220 sales so far this year, positioning it behind the Toyota RAV4 (24,034 sales), Mazda CX-5 (11,591), Mitsubishi Outlander (11,399), Kia Sportage (10,558), Hyundai Tucson (10,272), Nissan X-Trail (8553), GWM Haval H6 (6909), Subaru Forester (6495), BYD Sealion 6 (4375) and BYD Sealion 7 (3756) in Australia's single biggest new-vehicle segment.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Advertiser
41 minutes ago
- The Advertiser
Cupra Born VZ: EV hot hatch coming early 2026, more affordable options could follow
Cupra Australia will finally bring the 240kW Born VZ electric hot hatch early in 2026, though customers eager for less powerful variants will have to wait a little longer. Speaking with CarExpert, head of product for Cupra Australia – Jeff Shafer – said the high-performance Born will arrive at the beginning of next year (despite being earmarked for late-2025 as recently as March), while lesser variants may arrive with an incoming mid-life facelift. "We're in the process of planning the rest of the Born range beyond the VZ – even for the VZ we're still locking in a couple of final details," Mr Shafer said. "There's a facelift coming soon, so we're looking at the timing in terms of whether it makes sense to bring [lower variants] back in the shorter term, or wait for the [mid-life update]." CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. Asked about how the ever-changing EV market has impacted Cupra's approach, particularly with regards to re-introducing the Born, Mr Shafer said the Spanish brand will focus on driver enjoyment and value to stand out from increasing competition from the likes of emerging Chinese brands. "Cupra doesn't aspire to be all things to all people… so we really want to make sure that we're bringing cars that are appealing to people's emotions, and are above all fun to drive," Mr Shafer said. "With the Born, we got a lot of positive feedback on the ride and handling, and how there was a feeling of quality. I think these aspects take the VZ up to another level in terms of the responsiveness. "Bringing Tavascan into the market, in the EV space just making sure you've got a product that doesn't follow the others [is important]. "[Pricing] is always a challenge, and we don't take anything for granted in the Australian market. It did move very quickly, so we're trying to make sure we're bringing a product that has the right positioning, offers value that customers can see. "But also, making sure that the points of difference that we believe we have in design, ride and handling, and calibration of our assistance systems is also communicated so that people understand what they're getting for their money," Mr Shafer continued. "It's important that people feel like they have value. So we're not always chasing the cheapest price point, I don't think that's ever our position, but you definitely have to have a value that people can see and appreciate." The Cupra Born VZ features a single rear-mounted electric motor producing 240kW of power and 545Nm of torque, increases of 70kW and 235Nm over the standard 170kW Born that is now sold out in Australia. As a result, the Born VZ can sprint from 0-100km/h in 5.6 seconds, and reach a top speed of 200km/h. Other changes under the skin of the VZ include a slightly larger 79kWh battery pack and a new DCC Sport chassis setup that includes revised dampers, anti-roll bars and rear springs. Exterior upgrades are limited to wider tyres and a choice of two 20-inch alloy wheel designs (globally): either forged or with 3D copper inserts. Two new colours join the palette: Midnight Black and Dark Forest green. Inside the cabin, the VZ is ready for the racetrack with bucket seats finished in recycled materials. The tech has also been improved over the base car, with the fitment of an upsized 12.9-inch infotainment touchscreen that features Cupra's latest operating system. The early 2026 launch timing is yet another delay for the flagship Born, which was originally due in May 2025, then pushed back to late 2025 as recently as March. This means when it arrives, it will be almost a year late. No doubt one reason for the delay is the Spanish brand's local strategy of giving each new model "the right time in the sun", as communicated by Cupra Australia's former director Ben Wilks earlier this year. "It's important to really roll these out responsibly in terms of timing. Each of these models needs the right time in the sun," Mr Wilks told CarExpert in March. "These are not necessarily delays from a factory perspective, but rather structure and order from our perspective." However, since Mr Wilks' comments launch timings for several new models have changed again. The facelifted Formentor and hotter Born VZ electric hatch were both initially due on sale here before the end of 2025, and now both are coming early next year. Stay tuned to CarExpert for all the latest Cupra Born updates MORE: Explore the Cupra Born showroom Content originally sourced from: Cupra Australia will finally bring the 240kW Born VZ electric hot hatch early in 2026, though customers eager for less powerful variants will have to wait a little longer. Speaking with CarExpert, head of product for Cupra Australia – Jeff Shafer – said the high-performance Born will arrive at the beginning of next year (despite being earmarked for late-2025 as recently as March), while lesser variants may arrive with an incoming mid-life facelift. "We're in the process of planning the rest of the Born range beyond the VZ – even for the VZ we're still locking in a couple of final details," Mr Shafer said. "There's a facelift coming soon, so we're looking at the timing in terms of whether it makes sense to bring [lower variants] back in the shorter term, or wait for the [mid-life update]." CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. Asked about how the ever-changing EV market has impacted Cupra's approach, particularly with regards to re-introducing the Born, Mr Shafer said the Spanish brand will focus on driver enjoyment and value to stand out from increasing competition from the likes of emerging Chinese brands. "Cupra doesn't aspire to be all things to all people… so we really want to make sure that we're bringing cars that are appealing to people's emotions, and are above all fun to drive," Mr Shafer said. "With the Born, we got a lot of positive feedback on the ride and handling, and how there was a feeling of quality. I think these aspects take the VZ up to another level in terms of the responsiveness. "Bringing Tavascan into the market, in the EV space just making sure you've got a product that doesn't follow the others [is important]. "[Pricing] is always a challenge, and we don't take anything for granted in the Australian market. It did move very quickly, so we're trying to make sure we're bringing a product that has the right positioning, offers value that customers can see. "But also, making sure that the points of difference that we believe we have in design, ride and handling, and calibration of our assistance systems is also communicated so that people understand what they're getting for their money," Mr Shafer continued. "It's important that people feel like they have value. So we're not always chasing the cheapest price point, I don't think that's ever our position, but you definitely have to have a value that people can see and appreciate." The Cupra Born VZ features a single rear-mounted electric motor producing 240kW of power and 545Nm of torque, increases of 70kW and 235Nm over the standard 170kW Born that is now sold out in Australia. As a result, the Born VZ can sprint from 0-100km/h in 5.6 seconds, and reach a top speed of 200km/h. Other changes under the skin of the VZ include a slightly larger 79kWh battery pack and a new DCC Sport chassis setup that includes revised dampers, anti-roll bars and rear springs. Exterior upgrades are limited to wider tyres and a choice of two 20-inch alloy wheel designs (globally): either forged or with 3D copper inserts. Two new colours join the palette: Midnight Black and Dark Forest green. Inside the cabin, the VZ is ready for the racetrack with bucket seats finished in recycled materials. The tech has also been improved over the base car, with the fitment of an upsized 12.9-inch infotainment touchscreen that features Cupra's latest operating system. The early 2026 launch timing is yet another delay for the flagship Born, which was originally due in May 2025, then pushed back to late 2025 as recently as March. This means when it arrives, it will be almost a year late. No doubt one reason for the delay is the Spanish brand's local strategy of giving each new model "the right time in the sun", as communicated by Cupra Australia's former director Ben Wilks earlier this year. "It's important to really roll these out responsibly in terms of timing. Each of these models needs the right time in the sun," Mr Wilks told CarExpert in March. "These are not necessarily delays from a factory perspective, but rather structure and order from our perspective." However, since Mr Wilks' comments launch timings for several new models have changed again. The facelifted Formentor and hotter Born VZ electric hatch were both initially due on sale here before the end of 2025, and now both are coming early next year. Stay tuned to CarExpert for all the latest Cupra Born updates MORE: Explore the Cupra Born showroom Content originally sourced from: Cupra Australia will finally bring the 240kW Born VZ electric hot hatch early in 2026, though customers eager for less powerful variants will have to wait a little longer. Speaking with CarExpert, head of product for Cupra Australia – Jeff Shafer – said the high-performance Born will arrive at the beginning of next year (despite being earmarked for late-2025 as recently as March), while lesser variants may arrive with an incoming mid-life facelift. "We're in the process of planning the rest of the Born range beyond the VZ – even for the VZ we're still locking in a couple of final details," Mr Shafer said. "There's a facelift coming soon, so we're looking at the timing in terms of whether it makes sense to bring [lower variants] back in the shorter term, or wait for the [mid-life update]." CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. Asked about how the ever-changing EV market has impacted Cupra's approach, particularly with regards to re-introducing the Born, Mr Shafer said the Spanish brand will focus on driver enjoyment and value to stand out from increasing competition from the likes of emerging Chinese brands. "Cupra doesn't aspire to be all things to all people… so we really want to make sure that we're bringing cars that are appealing to people's emotions, and are above all fun to drive," Mr Shafer said. "With the Born, we got a lot of positive feedback on the ride and handling, and how there was a feeling of quality. I think these aspects take the VZ up to another level in terms of the responsiveness. "Bringing Tavascan into the market, in the EV space just making sure you've got a product that doesn't follow the others [is important]. "[Pricing] is always a challenge, and we don't take anything for granted in the Australian market. It did move very quickly, so we're trying to make sure we're bringing a product that has the right positioning, offers value that customers can see. "But also, making sure that the points of difference that we believe we have in design, ride and handling, and calibration of our assistance systems is also communicated so that people understand what they're getting for their money," Mr Shafer continued. "It's important that people feel like they have value. So we're not always chasing the cheapest price point, I don't think that's ever our position, but you definitely have to have a value that people can see and appreciate." The Cupra Born VZ features a single rear-mounted electric motor producing 240kW of power and 545Nm of torque, increases of 70kW and 235Nm over the standard 170kW Born that is now sold out in Australia. As a result, the Born VZ can sprint from 0-100km/h in 5.6 seconds, and reach a top speed of 200km/h. Other changes under the skin of the VZ include a slightly larger 79kWh battery pack and a new DCC Sport chassis setup that includes revised dampers, anti-roll bars and rear springs. Exterior upgrades are limited to wider tyres and a choice of two 20-inch alloy wheel designs (globally): either forged or with 3D copper inserts. Two new colours join the palette: Midnight Black and Dark Forest green. Inside the cabin, the VZ is ready for the racetrack with bucket seats finished in recycled materials. The tech has also been improved over the base car, with the fitment of an upsized 12.9-inch infotainment touchscreen that features Cupra's latest operating system. The early 2026 launch timing is yet another delay for the flagship Born, which was originally due in May 2025, then pushed back to late 2025 as recently as March. This means when it arrives, it will be almost a year late. No doubt one reason for the delay is the Spanish brand's local strategy of giving each new model "the right time in the sun", as communicated by Cupra Australia's former director Ben Wilks earlier this year. "It's important to really roll these out responsibly in terms of timing. Each of these models needs the right time in the sun," Mr Wilks told CarExpert in March. "These are not necessarily delays from a factory perspective, but rather structure and order from our perspective." However, since Mr Wilks' comments launch timings for several new models have changed again. The facelifted Formentor and hotter Born VZ electric hatch were both initially due on sale here before the end of 2025, and now both are coming early next year. Stay tuned to CarExpert for all the latest Cupra Born updates MORE: Explore the Cupra Born showroom Content originally sourced from: Cupra Australia will finally bring the 240kW Born VZ electric hot hatch early in 2026, though customers eager for less powerful variants will have to wait a little longer. Speaking with CarExpert, head of product for Cupra Australia – Jeff Shafer – said the high-performance Born will arrive at the beginning of next year (despite being earmarked for late-2025 as recently as March), while lesser variants may arrive with an incoming mid-life facelift. "We're in the process of planning the rest of the Born range beyond the VZ – even for the VZ we're still locking in a couple of final details," Mr Shafer said. "There's a facelift coming soon, so we're looking at the timing in terms of whether it makes sense to bring [lower variants] back in the shorter term, or wait for the [mid-life update]." CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. Asked about how the ever-changing EV market has impacted Cupra's approach, particularly with regards to re-introducing the Born, Mr Shafer said the Spanish brand will focus on driver enjoyment and value to stand out from increasing competition from the likes of emerging Chinese brands. "Cupra doesn't aspire to be all things to all people… so we really want to make sure that we're bringing cars that are appealing to people's emotions, and are above all fun to drive," Mr Shafer said. "With the Born, we got a lot of positive feedback on the ride and handling, and how there was a feeling of quality. I think these aspects take the VZ up to another level in terms of the responsiveness. "Bringing Tavascan into the market, in the EV space just making sure you've got a product that doesn't follow the others [is important]. "[Pricing] is always a challenge, and we don't take anything for granted in the Australian market. It did move very quickly, so we're trying to make sure we're bringing a product that has the right positioning, offers value that customers can see. "But also, making sure that the points of difference that we believe we have in design, ride and handling, and calibration of our assistance systems is also communicated so that people understand what they're getting for their money," Mr Shafer continued. "It's important that people feel like they have value. So we're not always chasing the cheapest price point, I don't think that's ever our position, but you definitely have to have a value that people can see and appreciate." The Cupra Born VZ features a single rear-mounted electric motor producing 240kW of power and 545Nm of torque, increases of 70kW and 235Nm over the standard 170kW Born that is now sold out in Australia. As a result, the Born VZ can sprint from 0-100km/h in 5.6 seconds, and reach a top speed of 200km/h. Other changes under the skin of the VZ include a slightly larger 79kWh battery pack and a new DCC Sport chassis setup that includes revised dampers, anti-roll bars and rear springs. Exterior upgrades are limited to wider tyres and a choice of two 20-inch alloy wheel designs (globally): either forged or with 3D copper inserts. Two new colours join the palette: Midnight Black and Dark Forest green. Inside the cabin, the VZ is ready for the racetrack with bucket seats finished in recycled materials. The tech has also been improved over the base car, with the fitment of an upsized 12.9-inch infotainment touchscreen that features Cupra's latest operating system. The early 2026 launch timing is yet another delay for the flagship Born, which was originally due in May 2025, then pushed back to late 2025 as recently as March. This means when it arrives, it will be almost a year late. No doubt one reason for the delay is the Spanish brand's local strategy of giving each new model "the right time in the sun", as communicated by Cupra Australia's former director Ben Wilks earlier this year. "It's important to really roll these out responsibly in terms of timing. Each of these models needs the right time in the sun," Mr Wilks told CarExpert in March. "These are not necessarily delays from a factory perspective, but rather structure and order from our perspective." However, since Mr Wilks' comments launch timings for several new models have changed again. The facelifted Formentor and hotter Born VZ electric hatch were both initially due on sale here before the end of 2025, and now both are coming early next year. Stay tuned to CarExpert for all the latest Cupra Born updates MORE: Explore the Cupra Born showroom Content originally sourced from:
The Advertiser
43 minutes ago
- The Advertiser
2026 Honda Prelude has no direct competition, say Australian bosses
The Honda Prelude name will return to Australian showrooms for the first time in 25 years with its planned arrival in mid-2026, but it won't sit alongside any direct rivals nor set sales charts on fire, according to the brand. The Prelude was previously a mainstay in a highly competitive sports car market which has shrunk to a handful of models, including the Subaru BRZ and Toyota GR86, Ford Mustang, Nissan Z and Toyota Supra. According to Honda, none of these are direct rivals to the 2026 Prelude, which will be the first to offer a hybrid powertrain. "By the nature of it, it's going to be a little bit in the market. There isn't going to be anything you can neatly say, it's a direct competitor of that – it's just seen in a lot of different spaces," said Honda Australia managing director, Rob Thorp. CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. The sentiment is backed up by Honda Australia CEO Jay Joseph, who told CarExpert: "Prelude is a really fun car, but it's not a high-volume car. "It's a bit of a Swiss Army Knife – it really doesn't fit neatly into a segment and I think that's the opportunity that we get to leverage." In the Prelude's final year in Australia, 2001, total sales across the 'Sports' segment were 8820 across all makes, making up 1.14 per cent of all the 772,681 new vehicles sold that year. In 2024, the same Sports segment saw 10,633 sales, making up an even smaller 0.87 per cent share of all new cars sold (not including brands like Mahindra, Tesla and Polestar brands, which don't report to the official VFACTS figures, and would reduce this number further). While the price of the Prelude in Australia is yet to be announced, it will enter a dramatically different battleground when it returns in mid-2026 – but does the sports car market have room for another competitor in Prelude? "Yes, we think it does," Honda Australia managing director Ron Thorp told CarExpert. "We've actually been planning this for a little while, and … the nature of the model is it doesn't fit a market segment easily. "It will, from a VFACTS perspective and pricing, but the customer who we think will be interested, it's going to be quite a wide, broad base." "If you look at [Civic] Type R, we know who wants to buy Type R," Mr Thorp said. "Looking at the Prelude, it could be a sports cars person, but you could sort of see, to be honest, older males who used to own them back in the 90s buying them again – I think it's going to reattract a lot of consumers back to the Honda brand. "You can see it opening up to a female audience as well because of the way it looks and drives and handles. "We sort of think that this is where the customer segment group might be," Mr Thorp said, with the Prelude potentially able to "attract a lot of different people from a lot of different areas". "It's also going to provide an opportunity to actually conquest and speak to new customers at the same time, and the combination of the two will allow us to generate great [brand] awareness and start to put Honda on a consideration list." More: Everything Honda Content originally sourced from: The Honda Prelude name will return to Australian showrooms for the first time in 25 years with its planned arrival in mid-2026, but it won't sit alongside any direct rivals nor set sales charts on fire, according to the brand. The Prelude was previously a mainstay in a highly competitive sports car market which has shrunk to a handful of models, including the Subaru BRZ and Toyota GR86, Ford Mustang, Nissan Z and Toyota Supra. According to Honda, none of these are direct rivals to the 2026 Prelude, which will be the first to offer a hybrid powertrain. "By the nature of it, it's going to be a little bit in the market. There isn't going to be anything you can neatly say, it's a direct competitor of that – it's just seen in a lot of different spaces," said Honda Australia managing director, Rob Thorp. CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. The sentiment is backed up by Honda Australia CEO Jay Joseph, who told CarExpert: "Prelude is a really fun car, but it's not a high-volume car. "It's a bit of a Swiss Army Knife – it really doesn't fit neatly into a segment and I think that's the opportunity that we get to leverage." In the Prelude's final year in Australia, 2001, total sales across the 'Sports' segment were 8820 across all makes, making up 1.14 per cent of all the 772,681 new vehicles sold that year. In 2024, the same Sports segment saw 10,633 sales, making up an even smaller 0.87 per cent share of all new cars sold (not including brands like Mahindra, Tesla and Polestar brands, which don't report to the official VFACTS figures, and would reduce this number further). While the price of the Prelude in Australia is yet to be announced, it will enter a dramatically different battleground when it returns in mid-2026 – but does the sports car market have room for another competitor in Prelude? "Yes, we think it does," Honda Australia managing director Ron Thorp told CarExpert. "We've actually been planning this for a little while, and … the nature of the model is it doesn't fit a market segment easily. "It will, from a VFACTS perspective and pricing, but the customer who we think will be interested, it's going to be quite a wide, broad base." "If you look at [Civic] Type R, we know who wants to buy Type R," Mr Thorp said. "Looking at the Prelude, it could be a sports cars person, but you could sort of see, to be honest, older males who used to own them back in the 90s buying them again – I think it's going to reattract a lot of consumers back to the Honda brand. "You can see it opening up to a female audience as well because of the way it looks and drives and handles. "We sort of think that this is where the customer segment group might be," Mr Thorp said, with the Prelude potentially able to "attract a lot of different people from a lot of different areas". "It's also going to provide an opportunity to actually conquest and speak to new customers at the same time, and the combination of the two will allow us to generate great [brand] awareness and start to put Honda on a consideration list." More: Everything Honda Content originally sourced from: The Honda Prelude name will return to Australian showrooms for the first time in 25 years with its planned arrival in mid-2026, but it won't sit alongside any direct rivals nor set sales charts on fire, according to the brand. The Prelude was previously a mainstay in a highly competitive sports car market which has shrunk to a handful of models, including the Subaru BRZ and Toyota GR86, Ford Mustang, Nissan Z and Toyota Supra. According to Honda, none of these are direct rivals to the 2026 Prelude, which will be the first to offer a hybrid powertrain. "By the nature of it, it's going to be a little bit in the market. There isn't going to be anything you can neatly say, it's a direct competitor of that – it's just seen in a lot of different spaces," said Honda Australia managing director, Rob Thorp. CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. The sentiment is backed up by Honda Australia CEO Jay Joseph, who told CarExpert: "Prelude is a really fun car, but it's not a high-volume car. "It's a bit of a Swiss Army Knife – it really doesn't fit neatly into a segment and I think that's the opportunity that we get to leverage." In the Prelude's final year in Australia, 2001, total sales across the 'Sports' segment were 8820 across all makes, making up 1.14 per cent of all the 772,681 new vehicles sold that year. In 2024, the same Sports segment saw 10,633 sales, making up an even smaller 0.87 per cent share of all new cars sold (not including brands like Mahindra, Tesla and Polestar brands, which don't report to the official VFACTS figures, and would reduce this number further). While the price of the Prelude in Australia is yet to be announced, it will enter a dramatically different battleground when it returns in mid-2026 – but does the sports car market have room for another competitor in Prelude? "Yes, we think it does," Honda Australia managing director Ron Thorp told CarExpert. "We've actually been planning this for a little while, and … the nature of the model is it doesn't fit a market segment easily. "It will, from a VFACTS perspective and pricing, but the customer who we think will be interested, it's going to be quite a wide, broad base." "If you look at [Civic] Type R, we know who wants to buy Type R," Mr Thorp said. "Looking at the Prelude, it could be a sports cars person, but you could sort of see, to be honest, older males who used to own them back in the 90s buying them again – I think it's going to reattract a lot of consumers back to the Honda brand. "You can see it opening up to a female audience as well because of the way it looks and drives and handles. "We sort of think that this is where the customer segment group might be," Mr Thorp said, with the Prelude potentially able to "attract a lot of different people from a lot of different areas". "It's also going to provide an opportunity to actually conquest and speak to new customers at the same time, and the combination of the two will allow us to generate great [brand] awareness and start to put Honda on a consideration list." More: Everything Honda Content originally sourced from: The Honda Prelude name will return to Australian showrooms for the first time in 25 years with its planned arrival in mid-2026, but it won't sit alongside any direct rivals nor set sales charts on fire, according to the brand. The Prelude was previously a mainstay in a highly competitive sports car market which has shrunk to a handful of models, including the Subaru BRZ and Toyota GR86, Ford Mustang, Nissan Z and Toyota Supra. According to Honda, none of these are direct rivals to the 2026 Prelude, which will be the first to offer a hybrid powertrain. "By the nature of it, it's going to be a little bit in the market. There isn't going to be anything you can neatly say, it's a direct competitor of that – it's just seen in a lot of different spaces," said Honda Australia managing director, Rob Thorp. CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. The sentiment is backed up by Honda Australia CEO Jay Joseph, who told CarExpert: "Prelude is a really fun car, but it's not a high-volume car. "It's a bit of a Swiss Army Knife – it really doesn't fit neatly into a segment and I think that's the opportunity that we get to leverage." In the Prelude's final year in Australia, 2001, total sales across the 'Sports' segment were 8820 across all makes, making up 1.14 per cent of all the 772,681 new vehicles sold that year. In 2024, the same Sports segment saw 10,633 sales, making up an even smaller 0.87 per cent share of all new cars sold (not including brands like Mahindra, Tesla and Polestar brands, which don't report to the official VFACTS figures, and would reduce this number further). While the price of the Prelude in Australia is yet to be announced, it will enter a dramatically different battleground when it returns in mid-2026 – but does the sports car market have room for another competitor in Prelude? "Yes, we think it does," Honda Australia managing director Ron Thorp told CarExpert. "We've actually been planning this for a little while, and … the nature of the model is it doesn't fit a market segment easily. "It will, from a VFACTS perspective and pricing, but the customer who we think will be interested, it's going to be quite a wide, broad base." "If you look at [Civic] Type R, we know who wants to buy Type R," Mr Thorp said. "Looking at the Prelude, it could be a sports cars person, but you could sort of see, to be honest, older males who used to own them back in the 90s buying them again – I think it's going to reattract a lot of consumers back to the Honda brand. "You can see it opening up to a female audience as well because of the way it looks and drives and handles. "We sort of think that this is where the customer segment group might be," Mr Thorp said, with the Prelude potentially able to "attract a lot of different people from a lot of different areas". "It's also going to provide an opportunity to actually conquest and speak to new customers at the same time, and the combination of the two will allow us to generate great [brand] awareness and start to put Honda on a consideration list." More: Everything Honda Content originally sourced from:
Man of Many
3 hours ago
- Man of Many
New Honda Prelude Revealed With Civic Type R DNA, Coming to Australia Mid-2026
By Ben McKimm - News Published: 31 Jul 2025 Share Copy Link 0 Readtime: 4 min Every product is carefully selected by our editors and experts. If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. Learn more. For more information on how we test products, click here. Honda revives Prelude; affordable hybrid sports coupe launching mid-2026 in Australia Targets Mustang, Z, MX-5, GR86 with Civic e:HEV powertrain Type R suspension, wide tracks, and Brembo brakes promise engaging dynamics CVT-based 'S+ Shift' mimics manual; true manual unavailable Sleek exterior, blue-white cockpit; driver seat specially bolstered for sport There's a new affordable sports car on its way to rival the Ford Mustang, Nissan Z, Mazda MX-5, and Toyota GR86. That's right, Honda is bringing back one of its most famous nameplates with the launch of the new Honda Prelude (6th-generation). Due to arrive in Australia in mid-2026, the vehicle is a launch platform (Prelude) to the brand's latest-generation 'e:HEV' hybrid technology, but with a sporty twist. It will be powered by the same two-motor hybrid-electric powerplant as the Civic hybrid. It's sad to see that the new Honda Prelude won't use the 2.0-litre turbocharged 4-cylinder engine in the Civic Type R (329HP/420Nm). However, it will be underpinned by the same suspension, wide front and rear tracks, and Brembo front brakes from the Civic Type R, so we expect it to be a pretty fun momentum car. Sadly, the six-speed manual transmission won't carry over either. It's been replaced by a CVT transmission that mimics the sound and feel of a traditional gearbox and sends power to the front wheels only. Honda calls it the 'S+ Shift system,' and it works with the Active Sound Control (ASC) system in the car to augment a gearbox by syncing the 'upshifts' with engine RPM each time you pull on a paddle. Honda says the new Prelude will 'deliver high levels of driver exhilaration and engagement, including unmatched driving dynamics and fun-to-drive feel,' but we'll be the judge of that once we get behind the wheel. Let's take a closer look! 2026 Honda Prelude | Image: Supplied / Honda While the powertrain choice is a tad disappointing, it's still refreshing to see a compact sports car in the era of oversized, overweight vehicles. The design is near-perfect. It's exactly what a modern-day Prelude should look like, with clean surfacing, a sleek nose, glider-inspired headlights, black chrome plating on the front grille, and a low-slung roofline. Wheels are pushed to the edges to create a wider track, while a closer look reveals a large diffuser and flush door handles. 2026 Honda Prelude | Image: Supplied / Honda 2026 Honda Prelude | Image: Supplied / Honda 2026 Honda Prelude | Image: Supplied / Honda 2026 Honda Prelude | Image: Supplied / Honda When we look inside, the main colour is 'blue × white,' which Honda says expresses the concept of PRELUDE with a light white and deep blue coordination. We love the instrument panel and its attention to detail on the ivory skin finish. Meanwhile, the driver's seat and the passenger seat have different specifications, which is very Ferrari-like. The driver's seat has an increased hold suitable for sports driving, while the passenger seat provides 'moderately wrapped comfort,' according to Honda. Tech-wise, there's a D-shaped design steering wheel with a full-graphic instrument cluster behind it, exclusive to PRELUDE, but further details will be shared closer to the local launch. We don't have specific engine power or torque figures available, but the 2.0-litre 4-cylinder petrol-electric hybrid system in the Civic hybrid e:HEV produces 135kW (approximately 181 HP) and 315Nm of torque. 2026 Honda Prelude | Image: Supplied / Honda The new Honda Prelude will arrive in Australia in mid-2026. 'We're thrilled to add this iconic nameplate to the Honda line-up next year,' said Honda Australia automotive director Robert Thorp at a media roundtable in Melbourne. When asked about who's going to purchase the new Prelude, Thorp said: 'To be honest, older males who used to own them back in the 90s, (could be) buying them again, but you can see it opening up to a female audience as well because of the way it looks and drives and handles, which we've heard about (internally),' he said. 'Maybe they owned one back in the 90s, or had a used one, because that's what they bought during uni and in the 2000s. But this might be something that brings them back.' We don't know how much the new Prelude will cost when it arrives in Australia next year, but Thorp says it will be competitive: 'We think we'll be able to bring a great value package to market.' 'We're very confident that this will be a model that will attract a lot of interest.'
