The new Honda Prelude is almost here, and now we know that it'll be arriving with some particularly delightful performance components. When this hybrid coupe goes on sale at dealerships later this year, it'll show up packing Civic Type R components. Here's what to expect, why it matters, and how it might benefit the Prelude even more than the Civic that it comes from.
On Thursday, the Japanese automaker announced that the 2026 Prelude will come with wide front and rear tracks, Brembo front brakes, and dual-axis front suspension sourced from the hottest Civic. In fact, this is the first time that Honda has leveraged the dual-axis suspension on anything but the Type R.
What makes Honda's dual-axis suspension so special? It reduces torque steer without compromising steering feel or performance. In a conventional strut suspension, the center offset, the distance between the center of the wheel and the steering axis, is far greater.
Essentially, the torque from the engine has a larger lever it can exert energy on, and torque steer happens more. With dual axis, the center offset is very short, so the torque doesn't have such a large lever that it can use to turn the wheels. (Keep in mind that the Prelude won't make anywhere near the 315 horsepower the Type R does.)
In effect, it's an anti-torque steer system that works great on the Type R — and, in theory, should work even better on the lower-horsepower Prelude. Honda says it's using its two-motor hybrid-electric system from the Civic Hybrid in this new car. That said, we expect it'll make the same 200 horsepower and 232 lb-ft of torque. Sadly, Honda will not offer a manual gearbox, but rather just the same single-speed hybrid-electric system used in the Civic, Accord and CR-V.
The automaker does say it'll ship with S+ Shift, a system designed to improve the driving experience. It'll evidently match vehicle speed with engine sound when it's pushed hard. On the other hand, when just toodling around, the combination should provide good fuel economy.
"As a result, the new sixth-generation Prelude will deliver high levels of driver exhilaration and engagement, including unmatched driving dynamics and fun-to-drive feel – all while remaining comfortable for everyday driving," says Honda. We'll be the judges of that when we finally get our hands on one.
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