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UK pricing indicates the Honda Prelude might only be marginally more expensive than a Honda Civic e:HEV, and not at Type R levels.
Honda’s new Prelude sports car will arrive in Australian showrooms from April next year, but overseas pricing indicates it might not be as expensive as first thought.
When Honda Japan released pricing for the reborn Prelude earlier this year, it was pitched at the same level as the Civic Type R, which would mean a $79,000 drive-away price in Australia.
Newly-announced UK prices for the Prelude seemingly confirm this positioning, as the £39,595 asking price directly converts to about $AU79,500.
However, the top-spec version of the UK Civic also retails for £37,295 – or about $AU74,900 – so a more accurate prediction of the Prelude's Australian price can be drawn from the percentage difference between the models.
In the UK, the Prelude sits just 6.17 per cent upstream of the flagship Civic hybrid, which would translate to a price of around $60,000 for the coupe when considering the positioning of the hatch ($55,900).
Now, pricing structures very rarely transpose this easily across markets, but it does indicate that the mechanically related Prelude may not be that out of reach for those shopping for a Civic.
A circa-$60,000 price tag would still put it above all flagship versions of the Mazda MX-5 (from $56,290 before on-road costs), Subaru BRZ (from $50,190), and Toyota GR86 (from $46,090).
However, when factoring in on-road costs, the Honda Prelude could end up being competitive.
In fact, Honda Australia believes the Prelude will eventually outsell the Civic Type R, and is looking at ways to curb the usual decline in interest experienced by new coupes after the initial surge in demand over the first 12 to 18 months.
Honda Australia is yet to detail full specifications for the Australian-market Prelude, but it will come fitted with a 2.0-litre petrol engine paired with two electric motors that drive the front wheels via an electronic continuously variable transmission (e-CVT).
It is the same powertrain as the Civic e:HEV, and produces a combined 135kW/315Nm, but Honda has added its new S+ Shift simulated shifter to the Prelude.
As a hybrid coupe, the Prelude claims to sip just 4.3 litres per 100 kilometres, according to UK testing.
In the UK, equipment such as keyless entry, push-button start, front and rear parking sensors, a wireless smartphone charger, an eight-speaker Bose sound system, heated front seats, 19-inch alloy wheels, and front leather upholstery is standard.
There is also a 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster, as well as a 9.0-inch infotainment touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support.
In terms of safety, UK cars score Honda’s Sensing suite, which includes autonomous emergency braking (AEB), traffic sign recognition, automatic high beams, adaptive cruise control, and lane-keep assist.
Measuring 4532mm long, 1880mm wide, 1349mm tall, and with a 2604mm wheelbase, the Prelude is longer nose to tail and in wheelbase than the Civic, but also lower and wider.
Honda UK claims a 264-litre boot capacity with all four seats in place, increasing to 663L with the rear seats folded and measured to the window.
Honda Australia will release more details on the new-generation Prelude – the first all-new model to wear the nameplate since 2001 – closer to launch.
Tung Nguyen has been in the automotive journalism industry for over a decade, cutting his teeth at various publications before finding himself at Drive in 2024. With experience in news, feature, review, and advice writing, as well as video presentation skills, Tung is a do-it-all content creator. Tung’s love of cars first started as a child watching Transformers on Saturday mornings, as well as countless hours on PlayStation’s Gran Turismo, meaning his dream car is a Nissan GT-R, with a Liberty Walk widebody kit, of course.
