The brand new Honda Prelude hybrid coupé will function a singular simulated gearbox when it’s launched in 2026 as a part of an effort to make sure it provides driving thrills.
The Japanese agency will revive the long-running mannequin after a spot of greater than 20 years – and the brand new model is about to function a halo product for its electrified applied sciences.
The brand new Prelude will probably be based mostly on the Civic and have a 2.0-litre powertrain that makes use of Honda’s e:HEV hybrid system. The complicated set-up of that system successfully prohibits a guide transmission being fitted – so Honda will as a substitute introduce a brand new S+ Shift system.
Honda says the brand new system will “simulate the sound and really feel of fast computerized gearchanges”. Hans De Jaeger, the agency’s Europe senior-vice president, mentioned this can “not solely ship distinctive effectivity, but in addition the fun-to-drive efficiency for which this mannequin is understood”.
The agency has not given any technical particulars concerning the new S+ Shift system, with a collection of latest official photographs that includes a single close-up of the drive mode selector. In consequence, it’s unknown if the system will simulate solely an computerized gearbox – or if it may permit for simulated guide modifications utilizing steering wheel paddles or related.
The system is prone to serve similarly to the one on the electrical Hyundai Ionic 5 N.
Reviews that the brand new Prelude would sport a simulated transmission emerged earlier this 12 months and venture chief Tomoyuki Yamagami added gasoline to the rumours when he refused to rule out the concept in an interview with Autocar in October.
Talking then, Yamagami mentioned: “Once you’re in command of creating the Prelude, you perceive everybody has loads of expectations of a coupé.”
Requested at the moment concerning the studies of a guide gearbox, he mentioned: “It’s very exhausting to reply that. Let me say that I personal three vehicles and two of them have a guide transmission: one is an Accord Sort R, the opposite a 997 [Porsche 911], as a result of I am an enormous fan of manuals.
