Honda has officially taken the proverbial wraps off the interior of its highly anticipated Prelude, bringing the hybrid sports coupé one step closer to production. Currently showcased at the Formula 1 Tokyo Fan Festival ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka this weekend, the car made an appearance at the Red Bull Showrun earlier today.
Behind the wheel of the e:HEV-powered two-door was is former Red Bull Racing driver and current Racing Bull pilot Liam Lawson, who drove the Prelude alongside the Honda 0 SUV. As predicted, the Prelude's cabin shares a strong resemblance with the 11th-generation Civic, given its foundation on the C-segment sedan.
The dashboard itself is finished a in two-tone leather finish while the layout includes a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster and a nine-inch freestanding infotainment touchscreen that's lifted right out of the current Civic. Other familiar elements include the three-spoke steering wheel with physical controls, mesh-covered air vents, and analogue air-conditioning dials.
However, the Prelude does have its own unique touches. Unlike the Civic, including the high-performance Type R, the Prelude features a slightly flat-bottomed steering wheel with a striking 12 o’clock marker in gloss black. The air vents also depart from the Civic’s full-width design, opting for a more compact, hexagonal shape.
The most noticeable departure is found on the raised center console, where the gear selector cluster takes center stage, adopting a button-style design typically seen in Honda’s hybrid models offered in overseas markets. Flanking the P,R,N,D selection in the centre, there’s a button for the electronic parking brake on the right while the left side houses the drive mode selector and a prominent S+ button.
The obligatory cupholders are positioned further back, maximizing space and usability, and complementing the sporty theme are a pair of substantially bolstered bucket seats with pronounced high shoulders, in another two-tone colour combo, telegraphing some pretty impressive capability from the incoming finished car.
Though Honda has yet to disclose full technical specifications for the Prelude, it has confirmed the use of its latest e:HEV hybrid system. This includes a pair of newer and more efficient 1.5-litre and 2.0-litre direct-injection engines paired with a more compact electric traction motor.
One of the Prelude’s standout features is the introduction of S+ Shift mode, designed to mimic traditional gear shifts, similar to the system in Hyundai’s IONIQ 5N. Reports also suggest that the car will inherit the Civic Type R’s advanced dual-axis MacPherson strut front suspension, which helps reduce torque steer, along with adaptive dampers to fine-tune handling characteristics.
All this continues the steady march of the Prelude from concept to production, though it was obvious that the car looked much more showroom-ready than most in its first outing at the Japan Mobility Show at the tail end of 2023.
Most recently for in Malaysia, the car also appeared at the Kuala Lumpur International Mobility Show (KLIMS) late last year, once again signaling steady progress toward production as well as giving us high hopes that our market might be one of the first to receive it. Should we be so lucky?