Heck Yeah: 2026 Honda Prelude Will Combine Civic Hybrid Engine With Type R Chassis

Two of our favorite Honda Civic elements will combine in the new Prelude coupe

2026 Honda Prelude prototype front 3/4
  • The 2026 Honda Prelude hybrid coupe is coming later this year.
  • It will use the engine from the Civic Hybrid, which we love.
  • It will use the chassis from the Civic Type R, which we also love.

Honda just released more details about the upcoming 2026 Prelude, and we're more excited than ever for this reborn coupe to hit the road later this year. Not only will the Prelude use the engine from the Edmunds Top Rated Best of the Best winning Civic Hybrid, it'll ride on architecture shared with another one of our favorite cars: the Civic Type R hot hatch. This should be an awesome combo.

Final specs aren't yet available, but assuming the Civic Hybrid's engine carries over to the Prelude unchanged, we can expect output of around 200 horsepower and 232 lb-ft of torque. That's a bit less than what we were initially hoping for, but we love the smooth refinement and easy efficiency of this engine in the Civic. It should be totally fine in the Prelude.

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2026 Honda Prelude prototype rear 3/4

More importantly, the Prelude will be able to make the most of the engine's power thanks to its incredible chassis. Honda confirms the Prelude will have the suspension, front and rear tracks (the distance between the wheels), and Brembo front brakes from the Civic Type R.

The chassis won't carry over completely unchanged, however. "The suspension and brake systems will be tuned exclusively for the new Prelude to deliver a sporty yet comfortable grand touring driving experience," Honda said in a statement. In other words, expect the Prelude to be a little bit softer than the Civic Type R, which should work well with the Civic Hybrid's powertrain.

We still don't know how much the new Prelude will cost, but given its components, we're expecting a starting price in the $35,000 to $40,000 range. We'll know more when the Prelude goes on sale in late 2025.

Honda Prelude Concept front
by

Steven Ewing has worked in the automotive industry since 2003. In that time, he's written thousands of articles and tested just as many vehicles. Steven is Edmunds' director of editorial content and has previously been on staff at Winding Road magazine, Autoblog, Motor1.com, CNET, and was the U.S. correspondent for Top Gear magazine. Steven has also contributed to Automobile magazine, Car and Driver, The Drive, Jalopnik, Porsche Panorama, and dozens of other publications. In his spare time, Steven loves to play the drums, cook, and drive his 2000 BMW M Roadster.

edited by

Kathleen Clonts has worked in the automotive industry since 2014 and has copy-edited thousands of vehicle reviews and stories about cars and the auto industry in that time. Kathleen is the Edmunds editorial team's copy chief and previously worked as the senior copy editor for Automobile magazine.

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