New Honda Prelude Revealed With Civic Type R DNA, Coming to Australia Mid-2026
Published: 31 Jul 2025
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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 It's been replaced by a CVT transmission that mimics the sound and feel of a traditional gearbox and sends power to the front wheels only.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.'
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We need to look everywhere we can for products that are relevant to this market," he said."A lot of the tastes in the US are quite comparable and a good fit. "Australia is an interesting market because I would say it's more of a western market in terms of preferences and behaviors even though it's located here in Asia-Oceania." "And I think that suits it well to some products from other parts that maybe have been considered, but maybe I've got a chance to lobby for them a little bit stronger than in the past." Honda's manufacturing footprint in the US includes four main vehicle factories, with its Marysville, Ohio, plant being the oldest. It's been producing vehicles since 1982. It also has design and engineering centres as part of 18 major facilities across its US operations. "We can do full vehicle development in the United States comparable with GM (General Motors) and Ford – and I would say we're more capable than anybody else there," Mr Joseph told CarExpert. 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The US is Honda's biggest market by a considerable margin, with North America making up 60 per cent of its 1,361,779 global sales in the six months to June 2025. CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. Products in the US include the unibody Ridgeline ute, as well as the roughly Subaru Outback-sized (and also unibody) Passport SUV and the related Pilot, a Toyota Kluger competitor. Honda Australia also plans to add its first electric vehicle (EV) to its lineup in the second half of 2026, but it hasn't confirmed what it will be. In the US, it produces the electric Prologue SUV which uses a platform borrowed from General Motors. So far this year, it's actually outselling its Chevrolet-branded cousin, the Blazer EV. Prologue sales were up 83 per cent in July, compared with the same month last year. In China, Honda has joint ventures with Dongfeng and GAC. Under these, it produces a raft of vehicles including EVs under the Ye sub-brand such as the electric GT fastback, as well as the Honda e:Ny1 electric SUV that's exported to countries including the UK and New Zealand. While none of these are confirmed – and the current-generation Ridgeline all but ruled out – the Australian office is now looking beyond its typical Japanese and Thai-sourced vehicles courtesy of Mr Joseph's background. "I've been in contact with my former colleagues there quite a bit and it's something we're considering – we need to take a look at that. We need to look everywhere we can for products that are relevant to this market," he said."A lot of the tastes in the US are quite comparable and a good fit. "Australia is an interesting market because I would say it's more of a western market in terms of preferences and behaviors even though it's located here in Asia-Oceania." 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That was the Canadian-built MDX, a rebadged large SUV from Honda's premium Acura division, sold here from 2003 to 2006. MORE: Everything Honda Content originally sourced from: Honda Australia's new boss is using his ties in his former United States post as the company considers vehicles from all corners of the globe – including China – for its future lineup. Newly installed Honda Australia CEO Jay Joseph told CarExpert his nearly three decades of working for the brand in North America mean he's been able to exploit connections to the US supply chain. This includes the Honda 0 Series EVs, slated to be made at the automaker's 'EV Hub' in the US from 2026, which are on the cards for Australia. The US is Honda's biggest market by a considerable margin, with North America making up 60 per cent of its 1,361,779 global sales in the six months to June 2025. CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. 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While none of these are confirmed – and the current-generation Ridgeline all but ruled out – the Australian office is now looking beyond its typical Japanese and Thai-sourced vehicles courtesy of Mr Joseph's background. "I've been in contact with my former colleagues there quite a bit and it's something we're considering – we need to take a look at that. We need to look everywhere we can for products that are relevant to this market," he said."A lot of the tastes in the US are quite comparable and a good fit. "Australia is an interesting market because I would say it's more of a western market in terms of preferences and behaviors even though it's located here in Asia-Oceania." "And I think that suits it well to some products from other parts that maybe have been considered, but maybe I've got a chance to lobby for them a little bit stronger than in the past." 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Honda won't bring in its premium Acura brand offered overseas to target a growing number of premium-pitched Chinese arrivals such as BYD's Denza and MG's IM Motors in Australia. Acura was established in 1986, three years before Toyota introduced Lexus and Nissan introduced Infiniti. It also preceded Mazda's Eunos, Efini, and aborted Amati brands. While Lexus remains on sale, Acura has never came to Australia. That's despite Infiniti being offered between 2012 and 2020 and Eunos being launched as a standalone brand here in 1992 before being folded into Mazda in 1996. Hyundai has since launched Genesis as a Lexus rival, but now Chinese car companies are getting in on the act with luxury brands of their own, including BYD's Denza due in Australia by the end of 2025. CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. Supplied Credit: CarExpert Above: Acura Integra MG has also just launched premium vehicles, officially under the 'IM Presented by MG Motor' banner but sold within MG showrooms. The growth of premium brands hasn't prompted new Honda Australia CEO Jay Joseph, who took the reins in April 2025, to add Acura to that list. '[Bringing Acura] here would require substantial commitment of resources in developing a brand – you've got to have brand awareness before people shop,' Mr Joseph told CarExpert. 'Candidly, I think our priority should be on expanding the potential of Honda and making sure that we've done everything we can with the Honda brand before we would consider taking on an additional brand here in Australia.' Supplied Credit: CarExpert Above: First and second generations of Acura/Honda NSX The Acura name was applied to some key Honda models in the past, including the second-generation NSX – which was also manufactured in the US – and models such as the Integra sports car and Legend. All of these vehicles have been sold under the Honda name in Australia and other places, such as the United Kingdom (UK), but with Acura badges in North America. Likewise, Acura's MDX was sold here during its first generation as a Honda. Subsequent North American-built Acuras have been produced only in left-hand drive however, ruling them out for our market.'Acura has been in other markets over time – of course the States – and Acura is pretty solid in Canada as well,' Mr Joseph added. 'We have had Acura in China for a time, but that didn't work as we hoped it would – China is difficult because many of those products had to be imported from North America, and that's a challenge.' Acura launched its first electric vehicle (EV), the ZDX, in 2024. It shares a platform with General Motors vehicles such as the Cadillac Lyriq sold here. Supplied Credit: CarExpert Supplied Credit: CarExpert Supplied Credit: CarExpert Supplied Credit: CarExpert Above (clockwise from left): ADX, RDX, MDX, ZDX The lineup otherwise consists of a trio of petrol-powered crossover SUVs, as well as the Honda Civic-based Integra liftback. Acura recently swung the axe on its BMW 3 Series-rivalling TLX sedan. Following Japanese and Korean automakers' introductions of luxury brands, it's now Chinese brands getting into this space. BYD has Denza and Yangwang in China, while Geely has Zeekr in addition to foreign premium brands it has acquired like Volvo and GWM is planning an even more upscale brand to sit above its Wey marque. Chinese brands surged in Australia over the first half of 2025, with BYD becoming the first to break into the top five best sellers in June, with Denza expected to add to its growth when it launches later this year. Lexus, meanwhile, was 21st overall between January and June, trailing key rivals BMW and Mercedes-Benz but ahead of Audi and Volvo. Honda is on track for its best full-year result since 2021 (17,562) if it can match its 8068 sales to the end of June, which equates to 16,136.
