• Honda Prelude voted ‘Best Coupe’ by esteemed Best Cars of the Year (Best COTY) judging panel at the New Car World Championships
  • Latest Honda model offers blend of style, driving exhilaration and hybrid technology. Debuts innovative Honda S+ Shift to simulate the sound and feel of quick automatic gear changes for greater driver engagement
  • All-new Prelude hybrid is latest to join Honda’s electrified mainstream model range – leveraging more than 25-years of hybrid heritage.

Honda’s all-new Prelude e:HEV sports coupe has been named ‘Best Coupe’ by the Best Cars of the Year organisation at the 2025/2026 New Car World Championships (newcarworldchamps.com), following the return of the iconic model after 25 years away.

The Honda Prelude has arrived in Europe, allying an advanced hybrid powertrain and innovative Honda S+ Shift with a striking design approach to deliver the ‘joy of driving’ for which the model has always been known.

Upon hearing of the ‘Best Coupe’ accolade, Tomoyuki Yamagami, Prelude’s chief engineer, said: 

“We thank Best Cars of the Year / The New Car World Championships for this prestigious award. 

“What we have done with the Prelude is like creating a wonderful dish using the best ingredients you have close at hand. And then we added a bespoke topping that makes our dish special, tasty and unique in the world. Then, the more of this dish you eat, the better it tastes. That’s what we believe we’ve created here, especially with the powertrain, handling and S+ mode.”

Japan-based Best COTY / New Car World Championships judge Peter Lyon said:

“Honda may have dug deep into its extensive parts bin to create the new Prelude – borrowing the high-performance chassis, suspension and Brembo brake packages from the Civic Type R and the 200-hp hybrid engine and CVT from the Civic e:HEV – but what it has brought to showrooms is much more than the sum of those parts.

“The Prelude deserves this win. The styling is fresh and eye-catching while engineers have added something quite unique to elevate driver interaction. The new Prelude takes the much-disliked CVT and not only gives it a realistic 8-speed shift pattern with paddles, but adds a bespoke S+ Shift mode that enables the car to automatically change down with a blipping function going into corners.”

Rebecca Adamson, Head of Automobile, Honda Motor Europe – UK, said: “We’re thrilled that the all-new Honda Prelude has won the Best Coupe accolade at the New Car World Championships 2025/2026. Driving enthusiasts from around the world have been eagerly anticipating the return of this iconic nameplate and I’m delighted that Prelude is already award-winning.”

The Prelude features Honda’s full hybrid e:HEV powertrain. Pairing a 2.0-litre petrol engine with the company’s lightweight dual electric motor automatic transmission, the 184PS (135kW) system offers true driver exhilaration with responsive power delivery, excellent efficiency, and superb refinement.

From 7th November 2025, the all-new Prelude will be available to order through Honda UK’s omni-channel approach— either online, through a retailer, or a mix of both— giving consumers the flexibility to purchase in the way that best suits their preferences.

The Honda Prelude is priced from £40,995.00 OTR. To find out more, visit: https://www.honda.co.uk/cars/new/prelude-hybrid/overview.html