The Honda Prelude disappeared 25 years ago, and while the nameplate may have faded into the background, it was never forgotten.

Now Honda has brought it back.

The sixth-generation Prelude is a brave move in an era when sports coupe sales are declining. Honda knows volumes will be limited, hence the decision to keep production limited. How long it survives will ultimately depend on demand.

So why resurrect a coupe that few people are buying?

Because the Prelude represents something bigger than sales figures. For Honda, it embodies the company’s engineering spirit: the desire to build something simply because it can. It is Honda showing the world what it can still do.

The Exterior

The Prelude is svelte, sleek looking… refined. Its styling and design language is modern without falling into the retro trap, and, it looks better in the metal than it does in photographs. And it looks good in the phtotographs.

The UK gets one trim level, starting at £41,595, with numerous options including the £1,390 Black Pack and £1,265 Illumination Pack.

The Interior

The cabin feels like step up from the Civic on which it is based. However, the exposed plastic cladding around the centre console is a weak point.

Fabric or carpeted panels would have added a touch more luxury.

Honda calls the prelude a 2+2. That is generous. In reality, it is a two-seat coupe with a couple of token rear seats suitable for child seats and little else.

Fortunately, those seats make excellent storage shelves. The liftback boot is genuinely useful, making the Prelude unexpectedly practical for a sports coupe.

Infotainment

The infotainment is lifted straight from the Civic. It features a simple menu system and is functional as much as it is easy to use. The screen tech feels dated and could do with an upgrade as the screen becomes difficult to see in bright sunlight.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, although both require a wired connection.

Equipment levels are generous, with the usual arsenal of safety systems, cruise control and lane assist. The list is endless.

The Drive

The Prelude uses a 2.0-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine paired with dual electric motors, producing a total system output of 200 hp and 315 Nm (232 lb-ft) of torque. Power is delivered through Honda’s e-CVT system, which is, in effect, an electric motor-driven transmission.

There are three drive modes: Sport, GT and Comfort. Frankly, the differences are subtle.

It doesn’t feel particularly fast in a straight line. Initial impressions are actually of a car that feels slightly underpowered. But that is largely down to the smooth, refined and linear way the hybrid system delivers its power.

It is deceptively quick rather than brutally quick. Then there is S+ mode. Press the button and a digital rev counter appears on the instrument panel.

You have activated manual mode. The aluminium paddles, which are normally used for brake regeneration, now switch through eight simulated ratios, complete with synthesised engine noise, vibration and simulated weight transfer.

Sounds gimmicky. It isn’t. It works remarkably well. But here’s the catch: using the simulated manual mode is actually one second slower than the standard automatic mode.

Here’s the takeaway: there are no conventional gears in the Prelude. Yet it feels like a dual-clutch transmission—only significantly smoother and more refined.

I have to say, though, using the brake regeneration mode provides much better combined braking performance. As for efficiency, this is a Honda, and it will easily return 55 mpg regardless of how hard you rev it—simulated or otherwise.

The Handling

This is where the Prelude earns its badge.

Much of its mechanical DNA comes from the Civic Type R, including the dual-axis front suspension, wider track and wheelbase, four-piston Brembo brakes and adaptive dampers.

The result is an exceptionally composed car. It rotates beautifully into corners, balances on the front axle and shrugs off mid-corner bumps with impressive composure. The 19-inch tyres bite hard, giving you the confidence to attack corners rather than tiptoe around them.

Body roll is minimal. Yet the Prelude is not a hardcore sports car. It is a GT with sporting intent—comfortable enough to cross continents or counties, but perfectly capable of attacking a B-road when the mood takes you.The steering feel? There isn’t much in the way of raw and rugged feedback, but the chassis is so good that it provides the majority of the feedback.

The Verdict

The Prelude isn’t the fastest sports coupe around, nor is it trying to be.

It also doesn’t drive like an EV as some other reviewers have noted because it doesn’t have that guttural EV punch. It drives like a sophisticated, punchy hybrid that has deliberately chosen refinement over raw violence.

And that is the point.

The Prelude isn’t about numbers. It is about engineering, balance and the simple pleasure of building something refined. In an age of SUVs and sensible choices, Honda has built a sports coupe.

And there is nothing wrong with that.