Return of an Icon: All-New Hybrid-Electric Honda Prelude Will Come to the U.S. Late Next Year

• Sixth-generation Prelude marks return of iconic nameplate to the Honda lineup

•Prelude will advance the 'joy of driving' into the electrified future with Honda's award-winning two-motor hybrid powertrain

•First introduced in November 1978, the Prelude nameplate has long attracted enthusiasts with its sporty looks and performance

•Honda celebrates 25 years of electrification – Honda introduced America's first hybrid-electric model a quarter century ago

Honda today announced an all-new hybrid-electric Prelude sports coupe will be introduced to the U.S. market late next year, returning one of the brand's most iconic nameplates to the lineup. The stylish new Prelude will mark the debut of Honda S+ Shift, an innovative new drive mode that further advances Linear Shift Control to deliver maximum levels of driver engagement, in keeping with the heritage of the Prelude line.

'The return of the Honda Prelude as a hybrid-electric sports model demonstrates our continued commitment to offer a variety of exhilarating products to meet the needs of our customers,' said Jessika Laudermilk, assistant vice president of Honda Auto Sales. 'The first three products in the Honda lineup in the 1970s were Civic, Accord and Prelude, and soon all three will be back together again in our passenger car lineup as hybrids.'

The hybrid-electric Honda Prelude Concept made its first North American appearance at the 2023 Los Angeles Auto Show following its global debut at the 2023 Japan Mobility Show, 45 years after the first-generation Prelude entered production in November 1978. A beloved favorite of automotive enthusiasts, the sports coupe consistently introduced innovative new technologies to the Honda lineup and industry across its five generations, including four-wheel steering (4WS) and torque vectoring Active Torque Transfer System (ATTS).

Honda established a global goal to achieve carbon neutrality for all of its products and corporate activities by 2050. Toward that goal, the company's vision is to make battery-electric and fuel cell electric vehicles represent 100% of its vehicle sales by 2040.

Hybrid-electric vehicles are a key step in this Honda electrification strategy, which includes equipping its core models with hybrid-electric powertrains – with the company celebrating 25 years of hybrid sales in America. Honda has achieved record electrified vehicle sales in 2024, which now represent more than a quarter of the brand's total sales. Hybrid-electric trims currently make up more than 50% of Accord and CR-V sales, and the newly introduced Civic hybrid is expected to ultimately represent about 40% of Civic sales. Cumulative sales of Honda electrified vehicles top one million.

This month, Honda celebrates 25 years of hybrid sales in America. Honda began sales of the first-generation Honda Insight, America's first hybrid-electric model in December of 1999.

Honda began sales this year of the Honda Prologue, the brand's first all-electric SUV. And late next year, Honda will begin production of the first EVs based on the new Honda-developed EV platform at the Honda EV Hub in Ohio.

At CES 2024 in January, Honda unveiled two concept models of the Honda 0 Series, the Saloon and the Space-Hub. A production model of the Saloon, positioned as a flagship model of the 0 Series is planned for introduction in 2026, and will be built at the Honda EV Hub in Ohio, Moreover, Honda has announced plans to introduce a total of seven Honda 0 Series models globally by 2030, including small-, medium- and large-size models.

In October, Honda Motor Co., Ltd. held its Honda 0 Tech Meeting 2024 in Tokyo, Japan and introduced some of the next-generation technologies to be applied to the Honda 0 Series. . Honda is planning to unveil a new Honda 0 Series model at CES 2025, scheduled for January 2025. This new model will be the embodiment in product form of the technologies and electrification concept introduced during the Honda 0 Tech Meeting.

Photo credit: Honda
posted on conceptcarz.com

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