We can still remember the excitement we had when we first saw the Honda Prelude Concept back in October 2023. The best part was, Honda said that they’ll be putting it into production down the line. It was great news, indeed, as the company doesn’tt have a single coupe in its lineup.
Fast forward to 2025 and huge progress has been made. Running prototypes are put and about, and select members of the Japanese motoring press have driven it. But for the first time, we finally have a good look at will eventually be the production model.
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Making its world premiere at the 2025 Tokyo Auto Salon is the Honda Prelude Prototype, and it’s pretty much the real deal. Perhaps a few exterior and interior details will change, but the car on display looks ready to hit the road.
It’s safe to say that a good chunk of the concept has made its way to the prototype. As fast as we can tell, the only notable difference we see is the grille with the thin LED strip on the grille removed for this version.
The flush door handles are present here, although we might see different wheel options once the variant list is complete. As for the rear, it’s identical to the concept, right down to the classic Prelude script on the bumper. The font used reminds us of the fourth-generation model produced from 1991 to 1996. That said, we’re glad to report that the, in prototype form at least, the new Prelude comes with a rear spoiler as it should.
The prototype shown during the exhibition had its doors closed, so it’s still hard to say what the interior will be like. That said, Japanese press have mentioned that it looks similar to the Civic, following the ‘Man Maximum, Machine Minimum’ philosophy Honda currently practices.
So far, the only confirmed thing about the powertrain is that it will be a hybrid. Using Honda’s e:HEV technology, it is said that it will feature new advances yet to be seen in the company’s current range. It also has a new transmission that further mimics a sport-tuned automatic transmission.
Honda is yet to reveal the exact launch date for the all-new Prelude. So far, it’s set for ‘sometime in the second half’ of 2025. With the Japan Mobility Show opening on October 2025, we might just see the showroom version there.
