Honda Prelude review: no seriously, it's not a crossover! Reviews 2025
The car that you see in these rather rushed images from Honda is the exact car that we drove. It's a pre-production car but Honda bosses told us that it was '99 per cent' faithful to the one that you'll be able to buy in the near future.
Advertisement - Page continues below
Those same Honda folk were also keen to point out that we were only at Thruxton for its relative proximity to Goodwood, not because the new Prelude will be a lightweight, stripped-out track toy. Shame.
This car was whipped out of the Festival of Speed under the cover of darkness on Thursday night and needed to be back in the Duke's garden for a run up the hill on Saturday morning, so while Thruxton may be the fastest race circuit in the UK, we weren't out to set any records during this very short stint. What sort of VTEC wizardry is under the bonnet?
Ah, well… erm.
Of course, we already knew that the new Prelude was going to be a hybrid, and we always expected it to use a similar powertrain to the eHEV setup in the Civic. In fact, it's pretty much exactly the same.
Advertisement - Page continues below
It's a 2.0-litre four-pot petrol engine that only drives the wheels when cruising at motorway speeds. The rest of the time it's running at more efficient revs per minute and is powering a generator motor which converts the engine's output into electricity and either uses it to charge a small battery, or to power a second electric motor which then drives the wheels.
The engine can also be off completely with just battery power being used to propel the Prelude, but that'll only be for a short while because in the Civic at least it's a 1.05kWh tiddler.
The Prelude's chief engineer Tomoyuki Yamagami confirmed to TG that the power figure is the same as in the Civic, so you're looking at 181bhp being sent to the front wheels.
Sounds complicated, but in reality it's a smooth system and one that we like in the Civic very much. Would be nice if the Prelude still came with a 2.2, though.
Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Look out for your regular round-up of news, reviews and offers in your inbox.
Get all the latest news, reviews and exclusives, direct to your inbox.
Well, it certainly looks rather sleek, doesn't it? Honda claims to have taken inspiration from gliders for the form, although if you can see the 'linear togetherness of an acrobatic flight' in the Prelude then you're better at translating design-speak than we are.
Still, it's a neat car with a shorter wheelbase than a Civic and a track that's about as wide as the Civic Type R's. Narrower tyres though, of course.
It weighs around 1,500kg and also gets the adaptive suspension from the recently retired hot hatch king, although the spring rate and anti-roll bar stiffness has apparently been decreased for a more comfortable ride. Skip 8 photos in the image carousel and continue reading
We weren't able to test the ride quality on the smooth surface at Thruxton, but through bends the Prelude seems to allow a little bit of body roll in Comfort while being more taught in Sport mode. Even that doesn't feel as harsh as the softer settings in a Type R, though. The steering also weights up nicely as you move up into the GT and Sport modes. What's this 'gearbox' all about?
Here's where the Prelude further distances itself from the standard Civic. Honda has created something that it's calling S+ Shift technology. Essentially this simulates an eight-speed auto gearbox (the eHEV powertrain doesn't need a gearbox at all) with close ratios for lots of sporty 'shifting'. And yep, there are paddles mounted behind the steering wheel for you to 'change gear' yourself. Whole lot of air quotes needed here.
And yet, on first impressions the system seems to do its job very well. You activate it by pressing a large S+ button on the centre console, which then brings up a rev counter on the digital dial display that 'redlines' at 6,000rpm. That's the limit because this is an Atkinson-cycle petrol engine that's focussed on efficiency in a hybrid powertrain, and Honda says it wanted to be honest about the actual revs of the engine even if the 'shifts' weren't real.
Engine noise is played through the speakers and is most prominent in Sport mode, but we're also told that this is the real engine note that's amplified rather than being a completely fake sound.
Manually 'shifting' on a circuit certainly helps with your sense of speed, particularly on the way into a corner, and you'll never be caught out by hitting the rev limiter on exit because there isn't one. It'll just 'change up' for you.
We'll need more time with the Prelude to make a call on whether the S+ setup is a bit of a gimmick or not, but our first thought is that it's a clever addition that adds a welcome bit of driver engagement. Didn't do the Ioniq 5 N any harm, did it? Anything else I need to know about the way it drives?
It certainly isn't rapid, so don't go expecting the Prelude to be a proper Toyota GR86 rival. The brake pedal is nice and firm though despite it blending regen and actual friction, and there's a keenness to the acceleration thanks to the electric motor and its instant torque driving the wheels. In its sportier modes it does feel like it's egging you on.
It'll be efficient, too, with the Civic claiming just over 60mpg for the boggo spec hybrid on little wheels. And after half a day of being left running between very short bursts on track, even the car we were in was showing 25mpg. Not bad for a two-door coupe. What's it like inside?
The driving position is good with a slightly sporty feel to it. There's a flat-bottomed steering wheel too with a centre marker and some supportive seats, although sadly we weren't able to jump in the back to try out the two dinky rear seats. That may have been for the best – we might not have been able to extract ourselves before the Goodwood run the following day. Any word on how much it'll cost?
In a word, no. Expect it to be slightly more than a standard Civic, though, where prices start at £35,780. It shouldn't get up to the cost of a £50k+ Civic Type R.
So, we'll reserve final judgement for when we get hold of a proper production car for longer than the time it takes to make a cup of tea, and we'll give the Prelude a score out of 10 at that point too.
For now, all that's left to do is thank Honda once again for not sticking the name on a small SUV.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
3 minutes ago
- BBC News
Cofton Hackett care home resident reunited with first ever car
Sixty-nine years ago, David Harrison's father bought him a 1935 Austin 10 which the then 17-year-old affectionately named was his first ever car and remained in his possession for decades until he moved into Cofton Park Manor Care Home in Cofton Hackett, on the Birmingham-Worcestershire Harrison, now 86, always spoke of wanting to restore his treasured vehicle, his partner Netta Darke said, but he never got around to restored by new owner Brian Artus, Mr Harrison's family organised for David to be reunited with Peggotty as a surprise at the care home on Saturday. Ms Darke said she came up with the idea after she picked up a leaflet for the care home's open day and saw that it mentioned classic cars."David has always talked so much about Peggotty... it was only about seven or eight years ago when it became clear that he was never going to restore it," she Darke said she then got in touch with Mr Artus through family members and he bought the Austin 10 before spending the next five years restoring her to her former glory. Before the car was revealed, Ms Darke said the surprise would be a "thrill" for her partner and she predicted there would be tears."I know there will be tears - tears of happiness, tears of memory, tears that we all shed at times when we look back on the lives we have led," she added. The car was parked outside the care home while staff members and family accompanied Mr Harrison as he was brought out in a seeing the car, Mr Harrison said it looked to be "doing rather well" before adding: "I think it's wonderful."Asked what the car was like to drive, he said it was "great fun" but "pretty bumpy" and he would love the chance to drive Peggotty one more time. Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Telegraph
3 minutes ago
- Telegraph
‘My electric car costs have surged now my son is learning to drive'
I've been through a lot with my electric and hybrid cars. Making the switch to an electric vehicle (EV) and installing a charge point at home for my second-hand electric Renault Zoe took months, and I've recently battled to find any insurer to cover my battered hybrid Toyota Auris. We opted for these cars because we were keen to reduce our environmental impact, while reducing our fuel costs at the same time. What I hadn't considered was what would happen when my children wanted to learn to drive – something that, it turns out, could cost us thousands because of the pricier driving lessons and expensive insurance required to get them behind the wheel of these vehicles. We live in Hadleigh, Suffolk – my husband, Josh, a charity fundraiser, and I, a personal finance journalist, along with 17-year-old Finn, and 15-year-old George. Public transport is limited, so we're keen for them to pass their driving tests – but I had no idea how much more expensive we'd made it by opting for two automatic, environmentally friendly cars. Pricier driving lessons Manual cars are rapidly disappearing from our roads. In 2024, only 22pc of new car registrations were manual, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, and more young people are taking their practical driving test in an automatic as a result. Already, almost 21pc of all passes in 2023-24 were in automatic vehicles, according to data from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), compared with 17pc the previous year and just 5pc a decade earlier. Much of this is being fuelled by the switch to EVs, according to the AA Driving School, which predicts that one in four driving test passes will be in automatic cars by 2026. Seb Goldin, of Red Driver Training, said there had been a 16pc increase in automatic driving lesson hours at his firm between 2023 and 2024. 'This is likely accelerated by the accessibility when it comes to learning and the advent of electric cars,' he said. This trend is set to pick up pace over the next few years, due to the planned 2030 ban on sales of new petrol and diesel cars – but, as we've discovered, it's adding extra costs for learner drivers. More expensive driving lessons are the first thing you'll notice. While specific prices vary depending on the area and the individual instructor, the AA Driving School quoted typical prices per hour for driving lessons as £40 for a manual car and £42 for an automatic in London, with respective prices at £38 and £40 in Edinburgh, and £35 and £36.50 in Cardiff. Just a couple of pounds difference may not sound like much, but given it takes an average of 45 hours of driving lessons (if you can access an additional 22 hours of private practice) to pass your test, learning in an automatic could add around £100 before you can even ditch the L-plates. Higher insurance costs Once you're on the road as a new driver, the real costs kick in – particularly if you're driving an EV. The average annual premium for 17 to 24-year-olds driving manual vehicles was £1,260 in April 2025, according to data from comparison website Compare the Market, but it was £1,642 for electric vehicles – a chunky 30pc more. Insurance premiums take into account the risk based on both the driver and the car they are driving, so younger drivers of EVs get clobbered both ways. Julie Daniels, motor insurance expert at Compare the Market, said: 'Younger drivers face higher premiums because they are statistically more likely to be involved in a claim – and the expense of repairing EVs can amplify that risk'. One in five new drivers crash within the first 12 months after passing their test, according to research by Ocean Finance, while around 37pc of 18 to 24-year-olds had at least one near miss in 2024. Automatic and electric cars also tend to cost more to purchase and repair, which again increases insurance costs. EVs are generally newer cars, with fewer second-hand models on the market compared to internal combustion engine cars. Newer cars of whatever engine type tend to have more technical functionality than older vehicles, which affects their value and repair costs. The type of driving licence you have can also push up insurance premiums. Craig Codell, electric vehicle product manager at Admiral, one of the UK's largest motor insurers, said this is because drivers with an automatic licence are more likely to make a claim than a driver with a manual one. Given the continued shift towards EVs, I worry that younger people are being priced out of learning to drive, particularly if they only have access to an EV, and their parents can't spare the extra cash. Finn has been looking for a summer job to help fund his driving, but if we weren't willing to cover the insurance and lessons he couldn't just magic up hundreds of pounds out of nowhere. 'Our car insurance leapt from £406 to £2,019' Back at home, it appears I am stuck between a rock and a hard place. Either way, it seems we'll have to fork out more. We face higher costs of car insurance, and for each driving lesson if Finn goes for an automatic-only driving licence. Or, we'll potentially need to stump up for extra driving lessons if Finn learns in a manual car, but doesn't have access to a manual for practice. It's frustrating that opting for more environmentally friendly vehicles should also land us with higher costs. Plus, with our car insurance up for renewal, it became apparent that our current insurers were not exactly keen to add a 17-year-old with a provisional licence to our policies. The renewal quote for our electric car with LV car insurance leapt from £392 a year to £1,134. Meanwhile, Churchill, the insurer for our hybrid car, pushed the annual premium up from £406 to £2,019. If we'd stuck with a manual Volkswagen Polo, of the same age and mileage as our electric car, the quotes after adding Finn started from £587 for a standard policy. The price rises seemed huge and made me think twice about whether we could afford to add Finn to our insurance. There's certainly no question of being able to cover him on both cars. Both companies suggested using their temporary insurance policies to cut costs – where, for example, you can insure an additional driver for up to 90 days in the policy year, split across up to five separate occasions. But this didn't sound ideal for weekend driving practice. Tech to bring prices down Thankfully, plugging our details into comparison websites revealed some less eye-watering prices. The cheapest option for both cars were telematics policies with Hastings Direct, often know as 'black box' insurance. Hastings Direct YouDrive came in at £569 for the electric car, and £490 for the hybrid. With a telematics policy, the insurer monitors your driving, either by fitting an electronic monitoring device, providing a monitoring device to plug in yourself or using an app on your smartphone. The device or app then tracks aspects of your driving, such as when, where, how far and how fast you drive, and how aggressively you brake, corner and accelerate. Drive safely, and your insurer could potentially cut your premiums. For the pleasure of driving without an insurer looking over our shoulders, I was quoted £610 for a stripped-down essentials policy for the hybrid, or £626 for a higher-rated policy with a lower excess. Premiums for the electric car rose to £749 and £802 for the same policies, but there were cheaper options elsewhere from around £650. Based on the insurance costs, I've added Finn to the hybrid policy rather than the electric. It's a shame, because the electric car is smaller, and therefore easier for a learner to park – and it has lower running costs.
BBC News
33 minutes ago
- BBC News
'Norwich speedway helped break Cold War barriers'
The rousing success of a Soviet speedway team at a Norwich track helped create unity at the height of the Cold War, a historian has USSR test team had toured Britain's speedway clubs in 1964 but achieved legendary status at the Soviet Russia v Norwich Stars meeting that July.A depleted squad "rode out of their skins", impressing the home crowd and local journalists, Dr Richard Mills Mills, based at the school of history at the University of East Anglia, has explored the sport's links with the Eastern Bloc for the city's inaugural Norwich History Festival. "It really was a moment where speedway broke through those Cold War divides, broke through the barriers," he added."A four-man Soviet team raced in front of a packed Firs stadium [off Cromer Road in Hellesdon], and they won the meeting."Publications like the Eastern Daily Press spoke glowingly about these riders and the way they behaved - the miraculous fact they had beaten a Norwich Stars team full of its Swedish legends."There was a realisation that many people on the other side of the barrier are just like you and me, and sport was something everyone can unite behind and get together over." The link between East Anglia and the USSR brought other benefits the 1970s, Skoda set up its headquarters at the Port of King's Lynn and brought in thousands of vehicles, including speedway bikes and tractors."You had an ironic opportunity for communist organisations, state-run factories effectively, to use speedway to market their products," added Dr Mills. "The first marketing tie-up and the first fully sponsored team in Great Britain was the Peterborough Skoda Panthers in the early 1980s. "Speedway was the tip of the iceberg but there was a whole raft of relationships -Lowestoft shipbuilders were building fishing trawlers for the Soviet Union in the 1950s, you had Norwich making various bits of machinery for factories in Siberia, and you had east German tractors coming into King's Lynn." Dr Mills said the "human legacy and historic legacy" continues to this day, with the Norwich Stars resurrected as the King's Lynn Stars at the Adrian Flux decades the club has signed multiple riders hailing from the former Eastern Bloc, including the reigning Czech Republic champion Jan Kvě Norwich History Festival, which runs to Friday, aims to present history as a living topic relevant to our theme is rebels and radicals, with the 1549 Kett's Rebellion and lesser-known uprisings among the numerous subjects in the festival calendar. Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
