The Civic donates its structure, plus its 2.0-liter Atkinson cycle engine and drive system referred to as E: Hev.

It’s price spending a little bit time on this as a result of it’s not easy, and when the Civic first arrives, Honda makes use of the time period e-CVT or one thing comparable, which is sort of deceptive.

The engine predominantly serves as a generator as a result of it’s the electrical motor, about 180 hp (TBC precisely), which drives the entrance wheels.

Nevertheless, Honda, like a couple of different corporations, thinks that an electrical automotive by itself doesn’t supply sufficient driver interplay. And an engine that turns an engine at a relentless velocity is particularly annoying.

So on the Civic it has a system that simulates gear modifications. The engine’s gear modifications simply as in a traditional pure automated petrol automotive, however you can’t management the gear.

The prediction strikes this method one part additional. The system is named S+Shift, and the system not solely simulates an eight-speed transmission, however it additionally permits you to select relationships through gear hyperlinks.

Because of this it acts like all standard automotive in which you’ll select the gear through flappy peddels. The distinction right here is that the engine isn’t truly hooked up to the wheels.

Besides …

Sure, there’s a besides. As with the Civic (and I feel that is the place a number of the early confusion got here), there’s one mounted relationship wherein a lock -up clutch was tackled and the engine was instantly linked to the entrance wheels. Right here it’s on the ratio of eighth gear.

This doesn’t imply that each time you might be in eighth place, it’s going to join the engine and wheels, but when it ever does, it’s going to solely be in that eighth relationship.

The remainder of the time it’s a automotive -driven automotive, with power generated by inside combustion.

Another issues to note. There are three drive modes: ease, GT and sports activities. The engine sound – and it is an actual sound, at actual engine gear – is strengthened a little bit extra every time.

The drive mode additionally modifications the dynamics. The prediction relies on the civilian, however with a barely shorter wheelbase.

In accordance with the Tomoyuki Yamagami, a serious challenge chief for the Prelude, the suspension {hardware} is generally a civil kind R, however the spring charge and the stiffness of the rolling employees are ‘within the route of ease’.

The tires are rather less aggressive than the sort Rs, of which 235/40 R19 Continental Premium Contact 6s is on our check automotive, which modifications the width of the entrance and rear monitor very barely.

The load of the automotive has but to be introduced, however it’s within the area of 1450-1500 kg and is extra biased than in a civil kind, as a result of there’s extra {hardware} behind.