2026 Honda Prelude first drive: The price of loveliness
We primarily use cold and calculated rationality for the things we need.
Whether we’re at the grocery store choosing between laundry detergents or deciding which gas station to go to in these very, very trying times, we crunch the numbers to make sure that we get the most for our hard-earned peso (we all can’t make a living being involved in anomalous government infrastructure projects, you see).
But there are times when we spend what others would call an insane amount of money on things we want – this includes the thousands of pesos that my best friend throws at building Gunpla (Gundam Plastic) models to the big bucks that many women (like our mother, wife or girlfriend) spend on designer handbags.
And so, I was utterly bemused by the furore that erupted over the all-new 2026 Honda Prelude. Car enthusiasts (the same bunch who would spend six figures on a “rare” exhaust system) riled against Honda Cars Philippines Inc. (HCPI), saying the Japanese carmaker completely missed the mark with the P3,498,000 pricetag of its all-new, electrified two-door.
But if we step away from being car geeks obsessed over spec sheets and truly deconstruct the Prelude, it’s not like a sensible and practical BR-V or even a track-dominating Civic Type R – it’s a two-seat, 2+2 coupe that is easily one of the most beautiful automotive shapes in recent memory. It exists as an object of wonder, whether or not you’re into cars.
We got the chance to try out the Prelude to find out if its beauty is beyond skin-deep.
Evocative style
Whatever criticism has been hurled at the Prelude, it certainly hasn’t been directed at its looks.
Its low and wide profile is accentuated by its intricate LED headlights and LED daytime-running lights, which are supposed to evoke the massive wings of a glider aircraft. Our Moonlit White Pearl test unit had just the right amount of contrast, including the blue calipers of its Brembo high-performance brakes nestled behind gloss-black, 19-inch alloy wheels.
But it’s the rear-quarter view that really takes the breath away – the Prelude’s downward-sloping roofline emphasizes its long tail, while the full-width LED taillights accentuate its ample hips. Things like the faux rear diffuser and the brake-cooling vents in the side skirts add a sporty vibe without diminishing the car’s inherent elegance.
Airy cabin
HCPI product planning manager Tanarat Amnuaypon said the carmaker wanted the interior of the Prelude to remind owners of gliding in the air.
As such, this coupe comes with a unique leather interior that brings together hues of white clouds set against a clear, blue sky. And unlike many coupes I’ve driven, the Prelude is snug without feeling claustrophobic – the seats offer excellent support and all the controls easily come to hand, with the tall center console adding to the cockpit-like ambience.
Nice as it is to be in, I wish that Honda Cars made the interior as glamorous as the exterior because elements like the digital gauges, the high-mounted touchscreen infotainment system and even the switches remind me too much of the Civic e:HEV sedan.
Timely, usable punch
Speaking of the electrified Civic, the Prelude shares the four-door’s 2.0-liter, twin-cam, 16-valve inline-4 gasoline engine mated to an electric motor and a 72-Ah lithium-ion battery pack.
Combined output is increased to 200 horsepower – happily, the stiff chassis can easily handle this heave, with the front suspension sharing many design elements with the awesome Type R. Adding confidence behind the wheel are the well-weighted steering and powerful brakes with good pedal feel.
Perhaps the only thing I’d want is an extra 50 to 70 horsepower (perhaps in a Type S variant) to really make the Prelude really pull away from the Civic, but for many of its target buyers, this coupe easily has enough punch. A full road test would allow us to better explore things like fuel consumption and cornering performance.
However, I absolutely loved the new Honda S+ shift program that allows the Prelude’s continuously variable transmission to mimic a traditional gearbox – it even blips during “downshifts” to simulate rev-matching (or heel-and-toe for those of us who still drive manuals). It’s clever touches like these that make the inevitable move to electrification more palatable.
Cost no object
And so, the P3,498,000 Honda Prelude.
Using the lens of the typical car enthusiast (or even a racing driver like me), we would look at other 2+2 coupes like the P2,856,000 Toyota GR86 A/T or the P3,506,000 Ford Mustang Ecoboost and conclude that these offer more horsepower per peso, promise better lap times and whatnot.
But if we use the lens of people who genuinely want a hybrid-electric car with a true sense of occasion, then the Prelude is our only choice without spending millions more for something from Europe. In fact, the Honda is easily the most fuel-efficient and cheapest-to-maintain 2+2 coupe in the market at the moment.
Indeed, if the Prelude’s brand logo had a three-pointed star or four rings, car enthusiasts up and down the land would call it a “steal.” Perhaps all this hullaballoo is the price that HCPI pays for venturing into a new world – one where it isn’t going toe-to-toe with Toyota and Mitsubishi, but one where it is tugging at the heartstrings of people who want lovely things.
And much like a designer bag or sunglasses, there will always be people who will gladly pay for things that make them look and feel great. Until somebody else comes along with a stylish, fun-to-drive, hybrid-electric coupe that doesn’t cost as much as a three-bedroom house, the all-new Honda Prelude is all we’ve got.
But believe me – it’s one tough act to follow.
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