The brand new Honda Prelude hybrid coupe will function a novel simulated gearbox when it launches in 2026 as a part of an effort to make sure it affords driving pleasure.

The Japanese agency will revive the long-running mannequin after a niche of greater than 20 years – and the brand new model will function a halo product for its electrified know-how.

The brand new Prelude will probably be based mostly on the Civic and have a 2.0-liter powertrain that makes use of Honda’s e:HEV hybrid system. The complicated setup of that system successfully prohibits a handbook gearbox from being fitted – so Honda will introduce a brand new S+ Shift system as a substitute.

Honda says the brand new system will “mimic the sound and really feel of fast automated gear modifications”. Hans De Jaeger, the agency’s senior vice-president of Europe, mentioned it will ship “not solely distinctive effectivity, but additionally the fun-to-drive efficiency this mannequin is understood for”.

The agency has not given any technical particulars in regards to the new S+ Shift system, with a sequence of recent official pictures that includes a single close-up of the drive mode selector. Consequently, it is unknown whether or not the system will solely simulate an automated gearbox – or whether or not it may permit for simulated handbook modifications utilizing steering wheel paddles or related.

The system will most likely serve in the same option to the one on the electrical Hyundai Ionic 5 N.

Reviews that the brand new Prelude would have a simulated transmission emerged earlier this 12 months and mission chief Tomoyuki Yamagami added gas to the rumors when he refused to rule out the thought in an interview with Autocar in October.

Yamagami then mentioned, “If you’re answerable for the event of the Prelude, you perceive everybody has a whole lot of expectations from a coupe.”

At the moment in regards to the stories of a handbook transmission, he mentioned: “It is very tough to reply that. Let me say I personal three vehicles and two of them have a handbook transmission: one is an Accord Kind R, the opposite a 997 (Porsche 911), as a result of I am an enormous fan of manuals.