Honda revived the Prelude coupe as a hybrid after two decades away.

The Honda Prelude was one of the company's three founding 1970s cars, alongside the Civic and Accord, but it had been out of production for more than 20 years as the coupe market collapsed. Honda had shown a concept under the name in 2023, then confirmed production in 2024.

In July 2024 Honda said the Prelude would return first for Europe, and in December 2024 it confirmed the sixth-generation car would reach the US as an electrified sport coupe. 'Electrified' meant a hybrid: a two-motor system with the company's S+ Shift drive mode.

The decision was framed as bringing a heritage nameplate back rather than inventing a new one. 'The first three products in the Honda lineup in the 1970s were Civic, Accord and Prelude, and soon all three will be back together again as hybrids,' said Honda's Jessika Laudermilk.

For Honda the move revived the sports-coupe storytelling it had lost, at a moment when the whole car market was pushing toward SUVs, and reused a recognised name as a hook for the brand's electrification message.

Honda reunited Civic, Accord and Prelude as hybrids, re-entering the sport-coupe segment and giving the brand an enthusiast halo.

The Prelude name still carried recognition in a segment Honda had abandoned.

A hybrid coupe let Honda sell its electrification story on emotion, not just efficiency.

Reuniting the three founding nameplates reinforced Honda's heritage.

The coupe needed a distinctive car to stand apart from mass-market sedans and SUVs.

Reviving a dormant nameplate is cheaper than inventing one, if the new car carries the brand's technology story forward.

The sixth-generation Prelude was scheduled to reach US dealerships in late 2025 as a 2026 model, exclusively with the two-motor hybrid powertrain, giving Honda a niche sport coupe above the Civic.