HONDA is ready to revive the famed Prelude nameplate, the model revealing an electrified prototype at this week’s Tokyo motor present and confirming the mannequin will make manufacturing, doubtless earlier than the top of the last decade.
Whereas specs and element are slim, the Prelude will resurrect a nameplate Honda final bought in 2001, doubtless arriving with a battery electrical or hybridised petrol driveline and a smooth physique that’s understood to carefully resemble that proven.
“Honda has at all times been dedicated to creating sporty autos,” stated Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe on the mannequin’s unveiling.
“The phrase ‘prelude’ means an introductory or previous efficiency. This mannequin will turn into the prelude for our future fashions which is able to inherit the ‘pleasure of driving’ into the full-fledged electrified future and embody Honda’s unalterable sports activities mindset.
“The Prelude idea is a specialty sports activities mannequin that can supply an exhilarating expertise that makes you need to maintain going perpetually and extraordinary pleasure you by no means felt earlier than.
“We’re diligently progressing with improvement – please maintain your expectations excessive for this mannequin.”
Mr Mibe didn’t present a lot in the best way of knowledge referring to the Prelude idea, the mannequin’s swept traces, production-like grille and 20-inch wheels all bearing the hallmarks of a production-ready template.
Nevertheless, a Honda North America spokesperson advised US media outlet CarScoops that the mannequin will certainly characteristic a hybridised driveline, as per a choice made in early 2022.
“I can affirm it’s a hybrid. The announcement we made in April 2022 was that Honda would start exploring the creation of two sporty electrified fashions, a specialty, and a flagship,” the spokesperson stated.
“Our hybrid-electric system is an electrified powertrain, so the plan has not modified. The Prelude idea is being thought of for the Japanese market. We’re not going to invest about our future product plans in North America.”
Assuming the mannequin arrives with hybrid energy, it’s doubtless that the Honda Accord-sourced 2.0-litre four-cylinder and electrical motor mixture will slot into the similarly-sized ‘Prelude’. The front-wheel drive unit supplies 158kW at 6200rpm and 314Nm from step-off. It’s paired as customary to a constantly variable transmission.
The figures will supply the mannequin significantly extra poke that that of the final petrol-powered Prelude bought in Australia.
The fifth-generation Prelude featured a 2.2-litre H22Z1-series ‘4’ making 147kW at 7000rpm and 212Nm at 5250rpm. It was supplied with a selection of four-speed computerized or five-speed guide transmissions and was able to accelerating from standstill to 100km/h in 8.2 seconds.
