Honda cancelled its Prelude back in 2001. Now, the sporty-looking coupe is coming back for the 2026 model year. But is this a long-dated formula?

The biggest headline is that Honda is making every Prelude a hybrid. It’s lifting the powertrain from the tried-and-true Civic Hybrid. Good on Honda for an innovative idea (a hybrid sports car) with as many bulletproof components as possible. But this approach has its downsides.

First and foremost, the Prelude will only be available in FWD. And while front-wheel-drive sports cars even had their day, enthusiasts got sick of the torque steer. The result is the perennial sales of the Mazda Miata and Toyota adjusting its strategy with the GR86 and reincarnated Supra.

Secondly, the Hybrid powertrain means the new Prelude will only come with an automatic transmission. And in the middle of our stick shift renaissance, this is a mistake. Honda knows it’s a shortcoming, and built in a hokey fake-shifting feature.

A couple more pluses in the Prelude’s column: Honda incorporated most of the daring concept car’s design into the final production car. It also incorporated suspension components from the Civic Type R, which should make the Prelude a bit more fun in the twisties.

But all in all, the 2026 Prelude is a dated formula. The result is a slightly fancier Civic. At its $41,700 MSRP, it might be better suited as a new, entry-level Acura. But if Honda wanted a slightly sportier hybrid option, it could have copied another Toyota playbook the automaker demonstrated when it gave the Prius a major glow-up. A humble hybrid CR-X with surprisingly good handling might have also been a winner. See more about the Prelude in the video below: