All-New Honda Prelude Wins Prestigious ‘Best Coupe’ Award at the New Car World Championships 2025/2026

The all-new Honda Prelude e:HEV sports coupe has been crowned ‘Best Coupe’ at the 2025/2026 New Car World Championships, hosted by the Best Cars of the Year (Best COTY) judging panel — marking an exciting return for one of Honda’s most iconic nameplates after 25 years away.

This prestigious accolade celebrates the Prelude’s dynamic blend of style, driving exhilaration, and cutting-edge hybrid technology, with judges praising Honda’s engineering innovation and commitment to the ‘joy of driving’.


Award-Winning Performance and Innovation

The new Prelude brings together Honda’s advanced hybrid powertrain and an exciting new driving experience, debuting the Honda S+ Shift system — an innovation designed to simulate the sound and feel of rapid automatic gear changes, enhancing driver engagement and realism.

It’s the latest model to join Honda’s electrified mainstream range, combining over 25 years of hybrid expertise with contemporary coupe styling and performance.

Honda Prelude award
New Honda Prelude
New Honda Prelude

Engineering Excellence Recognised

Reacting to the award, Tomoyuki Yamagami, Chief Engineer for the Prelude, commented:

“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 — then adding a bespoke topping that makes it special, tasty, and unique in the world. The more you experience it, the better it feels. That’s what we’ve created here, especially with the powertrain, handling, and S+ mode.”

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

“Honda may have dug deep into its extensive parts bin to create the new Prelude — borrowing the high-performance chassis, suspension, and Brembo brakes 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 far more than the sum of those parts.
The Prelude deserves this win. The styling is fresh and eye-catching, while engineers have added something truly unique to elevate driver interaction. The new Prelude transforms the CVT with a realistic 8-speed shift pattern and paddles, plus a bespoke S+ Shift mode that automatically downshifts with a satisfying blip when entering corners.”

A Celebration of Hybrid Power and Driving Passion

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 around the world have been eagerly anticipating the return of this iconic model, and I’m delighted that the Prelude is already award-winning.”

The Prelude e:HEV features Honda’s acclaimed full hybrid powertrain, pairing a 2.0-litre petrol engine with a lightweight dual electric motor automatic transmission. The result is an output of 184PS (135kW) — offering responsive performance, refined efficiency, and the dynamic driving feel that has always defined the Prelude name.

Chiswick Honda dealership

Available to Order Soon at Norton Way Honda and Chiswick Honda

From 7th November 2025, the all-new Honda Prelude will be available to order through Honda UK’s omni-channel purchasing platform, offering customers the flexibility to buy online, through a retailer, or a mix of both — whichever suits them best.

Customers interested in experiencing Honda’s latest hybrid sports coupe can register their interest or pre-order through Norton Way Honda or Chiswick Honda, part of the Norton Way Group.

With its award-winning design, advanced hybrid performance, and engaging driving dynamics, the Honda Prelude marks the exciting return of an icon — redefined for a new generation of driving enthusiasts.

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