It’s been a long time since drivers in the U.S. — or anywhere — have had the opportunity to buy a new Honda Prelude. The last year the Prelude was manufactured was 2001 — a point in the automotive world where electric vehicles were practically unheard of and trucks and SUVs were more reasonably sized. This week, Honda announced the return of the Prelude, the sixth generation of vehicle to bear the name, and it’ll be entering a very different automotive world.
It’ll also be a very different Prelude, starting with the fact that this version is a hybrid. The automaker is billing this as a return to its roots, even as it’s also considering a significant change to its business — namely, a potential merger with Nissan.
“The first three products in the Honda lineup in the 1970s were Civic, Accord and Prelude, and soon all three will be back together again in our passenger car lineup as hybrids,” said Honda Auto Sales’s assistant vice president, Jessika Laudermilk, in a statement. Honda’s announcement also touts the new Prelude as its first vehicle to use a system called Honda S+ Shift.
Honda and Nissan Are Considering an EV-Centric Merger
Mitsubishi might also be involved in the new ventureThe announcement of the new production version of the Prelude follows the release of a concept version of the same model in 2023. At the time, Car and Driver‘s Joey Capparella described it as “a sporty-looking two-door coupe concept with a hybrid powertrain.” According to Honda’s new announcement, the next-gen Prelude is set to arrive in the American market “late next year.”
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