Two cars made special guest appearances during this year’s running of the Gaikindo Indonesia International Auto Show. Those cars were the Honda Prelude prototype, shown alongside the Super EV Concept. It’s a huge deal showing those cars over there, as it seems to hint at good news for Southeast Asia.
It’s the first time both cars were presented in the region, showing promising signs of the production models could be offered in ASEAN down the line. Besides, why show it if there’s zero intention to offer it in this side of the globe?
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The Prelude that’s currently on display at the motor show is a prototype version of the upcoming sports coupe. That said, it’s essentially a (very) thinly veiled road-going model, although we’re expecting a few more changes before the final product’s eventual reveal.
Some details are starting to trickle down from Honda. It’s confirmed that it will use the Civic e:HEV’s powertrain, and also benefit from the Civic Type R’s electronically-controlled suspension system. The official numbers have yet to be revealed, so we’ll have to wait a little longer for those.
As for the Super EV Concept, its appearance in Indonesia was a genuine surprise. Remember, it hasn’t even been a month since its world premiere at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Seeing it in Southeast Asia in practically no time is making us hopeful that this kei car could be offered in more markets.
By the looks of it, the Super EV Concept can be called the global version of the N-One e: that recently debuted in Japan. It’s still draped in a funky camouflage wrap, but we see the flared wheelarches compared to its home market counterpart. The headlights and charging port panel appear identical to the N-One e:, and the same could be said about the tail lights.
It’s possible that we’ll get full details of the production versions at the upcoming Japan Mobility Show by October. From there, we’ll have a better idea of the odds of these cars being sold in our region. That said, Honda might be gauging the reception of the prototypes shown in Gaikindo so, at the very least, the company has some intention to sell these in Southeast Asia.
