Not lengthy after Honda confirmed the brand new Prelude is coming to the US, Japanese journalists received to get their palms on a prototype of the sports activities coupe. Their first impressions make the automobile sound very promising. It isn’t only a Civic Hybrid with a two-door physique.

For starters, the Prelude will get a bunch of apparatus from the Civic Kind R. A video from YouTube channel Trip Now studies that the Prelude will get the Civic Kind R’s distinctive dual-axis steering entrance suspension, which is designed to mitigate torque steer, and the recent hatch’s adaptive dampers. In contrast to any Civic, although, the Prelude has a GT drive mode sandwiched between the anticipated Consolation and Sport modes, which sounds prefer it’ll present a pleasant steadiness between the 2. 

Honda confirmed as we speak that the Prelude can have a brand new S+ Shift mode, and now we’ve a greater thought of the way it’ll work. More often than not, Honda’s two-motor hybrid automobiles drive the wheels immediately with considered one of their electrical motors, and the engine works as a generator for the battery. With S+ Shift enabled, Honda revs the engine up and down and cuts torque from the drive motor to simulate the sensation of a combustion engine working by means of an eight-speed transmission. There are even paddle shifters on the again of the steering wheel in order that the motive force can nearly shift gears.

It is form of like what Hyundai is doing with the Ioniq 5 N’s fake-transmission N Grin Shift perform, besides as an alternative of getting completely simulated engine sounds, Honda is utilizing the precise engine right here. It is an attention-grabbing approach of making an attempt to make a hybrid automobile extra participating, whereas additionally making the most of the effectivity advantages of a two-motor setup just like the one Honda makes use of right here.

The video from Fanatic Automotive Information offers us one other good look and pay attention on the system in motion, and the motive force is clearly very impressed. We actually like what Hyundai has performed with the Ioniq 5 N, and if Honda calibrates S+ Shift equally effectively, we’ll like this too. 

Journalists who examined the brand new Prelude report that the coupe has a shorter wheelbase than the Civic, however wider tracks entrance and rear. All of this provides as much as a automobile that feels meaningfully completely different. The Prelude’s inside is shared with the Civic, however that is no dangerous factor, as the present Civic feels far nicer than the rest within the class.

Take into account us very intrigued. The Prelude arrives within the US late subsequent 12 months, and we’re very excited to have a go.