Honda is putting the Prelude nameplate back on U.S. roads for the first time since 2001, and the automaker’s own materials confirm a starting price of $42,000 before a $1,195 destination charge, according to Honda’s newsroom.

Key Points

• Starting MSRP is $42,000 ($43,195 with destination), sold in a single, well-equipped trim, per Honda.
• The Prelude uses Honda’s two-motor hybrid system paired to a 2.0-liter Atkinson-cycle engine for a combined 200 horsepower and 232 lb-ft of torque.
• EPA ratings come in at 46 city / 41 highway / 44 combined mpg, according to the automaker’s release.
• The car borrows its front dual-axis strut suspension and Brembo four-piston front brakes directly from the Civic Type R, which starts at $46,895 ($48,090 with destination) for 2026, per Honda’s own Type R pricing release.

What’s Confirmed

There’s no traditional transmission or CVT under the Prelude. Honda’s release describes a fixed-ratio direct drive from the traction motor to the wheels, with the gasoline engine’s power blended in through a lock-up clutch. For drivers who want the feel of shifting, Honda built in an “S+ Shift” mode that uses steering-wheel paddles to simulate gear changes and engine braking, even though there’s no physical gearbox doing the work.

The chassis leans hard on Type R parts: the dual-axis front strut design that tames torque steer, an adaptive damper system retuned for the Prelude’s own character, and the same 13.8-inch front rotors clamped by Brembo four-piston calipers. Drive modes run Comfort, GT, Sport and Individual, and the cabin keeps a 2+2 layout with a 60/40 split-folding rear seat, according to Honda’s release.

Honda’s own materials confirm the car “has begun arriving at Honda dealers,” putting the sports coupe in showrooms this month after a rollout that started in late 2025. Jessika Laudermilk, Honda’s Assistant Vice President of National Auto Sales, said in the company’s release that “the return of Prelude to the Honda lineup demonstrates our commitment to expand hybrid-electric sales.”

The last Prelude sold in the U.S. rolled off in the 2001 model year after a 23-year run, according to J.D. Power’s model history — meaning this is the nameplate’s first American comeback in nearly a quarter-century.

The Bigger Picture

Pricing the Prelude a few thousand dollars under the Type R, while lending it real Type R hardware, puts Honda in an interesting spot: it’s selling a hybrid coupe that borrows its bite from the brand’s hottest hot hatch, aimed at buyers who want sharp handling without giving up 44 mpg combined. That’s a narrow but very specific audience, and Honda is betting the Prelude name still means something to them.