Honda Prelude – the right way to bring back a sporting coupe from the past

Reviving old motoring names has become a bit of a fashion of late, often in a completely different guise to their original, but can prove a tricky task for car makers. People of a certain age may well remember those originals and almost inevitably view them through somewhat rose-tinted glasses.

Honda have been rather clever though with their relaunch of the Prelude name in that it’s not an SUV with electric power, as certain other car makers have done, the Prelude has been relaunched as original, a coupe.

In this new guise the Prelude, to most of those who commented on my test model, is a handsome looking car. Power comes from a 2.0-litre petrol engine with dual electric motors mated to an e-CVT automatic gearbox.

On the road the Prelude is a smooth and refined drive. Even the characteristic rise in engine revs of the CVT transmission, and a consequent increase in noise, is more subdued than usual in the Prelude. The handling is assured and the ride compliant enough to soak up the tortuous bumps and potholes in our roads. There are four driving modes – Custom, GT, Sport and Comfort – and S+Shift which simulates gearchanges from the CVT transmission.

As ever with Honda the build quality is superb and although the Prelude isn’t a luxurious interior it feels suitably premium and tactile. Space for front seat occupants is excellent, ditto the seat comfort, and there’s a decent range of adjustment. Even in the rear it’s not as constricted as you might imagine. It’s only headroom that causes potential issues for taller occupants.

Standard equipment is good, there’s a single model, with smart entry and start, rear view camera, front and rear parking sensors, adaptive cruise, auto lights with high beam assist, auto wipers, Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and a pretty decent sound system with Bose speakers.

Performance-wise the Prelude isn’t especially quick, albeit certainly quick enough, with the benchmark 62 mph reached in just over 8 seconds. As with many interesting cars speed doesn’t necessarily equate to enjoyment and the Prelude is a perfect example of this, it’s a car that’s more than capable of putting a smile on your face but at the same time has great useability for everyday travels.

Good looks, excellent build quality, practicality and enjoyment aplenty behind the wheel. It’s rare to find a car that ticks all these boxes and it’s a credit to Honda that despite the recent loss of the Civic Type R they can still produce a car that stands out from the crowd of rather homogeneous models we tend to see nowadays.

Facts at a Glance

• Model: Honda Prelude
• Engine: 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder petrol with twin electric motors and electric, hybrid or petrol drive modes
• Gears: e:CVT automatic with four selectable drive modes
• Price: €48,076/ £41,595
• Performance: 0-100kph/62mph 8.2 seconds – 188kph/117 mph
• Economy: 5.2l per 100km/54.3mpg
• Emissions: 117 g/km

Model tested was UK-specification and equipment levels and prices may vary in other markets