The new Honda Prelude hybrid sports coupé has now been shown in full, following the unveiling of its interior.
It draws heavily on the Civic hatchback on which it’s based, borrowing that car’s 9.0in infotainment touchscreen, digital instrument display and climate control switchgear.
However, several key changes reflect its sportier positioning. The steering wheel has a rally-style line stitched into the straightahead and there are bucket seats up front – more thickly bolstered for the driver than the passenger.
There’s also an S+ button on the centre console that activates the car’s simulated gearbox – a key part of Honda’s effort to ensure the Prelude offers driving thrills using the same 181bhp 2.0-litre e:HEV hybrid system as the Civic.
The new system is claimed to “simulate the sound and feel of quick automatic gearchanges”.
Honda Europe’s senior vice-president, Hans De Jaeger, said this will “not only deliver exceptional efficiency but also the fun-to-drive performance for which this model is known”.
The e:HEV system primarily uses an electric motor to propel the wheels, and while the petrol engine can drive the wheels directly at higher speeds, it serves largely as a generator to charge the battery. This removes the need for traditional gearing.
The new S+ Shift system builds on the Linear Shift Control system applied to Honda’s current e:HEV hybrid models.
The firm said it will have the ability to maintain the “optimal engine RPM for the particular driving conditions” and fully utilise power generated by the engine as driving force, rather than to charge the motor. That in turn will improve the response time of the motor.
