Honda Prelude

Small coupé returns after a 24-year absence, now with hybrid power. Is it fun to drive, though? On sale March 2026 Price from £40,995

- LAWRENCE CHEUNG [e-mail]

LET'S TALK ABOUT the Filet-O-Fish. Some people love it. Others think it isn't substantial enough to qualify as a proper burger - their logic presumably being that if you're going to eat fast food, you might as well go the whole hog and get the biggest, meatiest item on the menu. With the Civic Type R hot hatch retiring, buyers looking for a Honda that's exciting to drive might be hoping this new Prelude coupé will whet their appetite. This sixth-generation model adopts fuel-efficient hybrid power for the first time, though, and that decision is likely to be as divisive as the Filet-O-Fish, with the guilty pleasure of a rorty petrol engine potentially diluted somewhat. Still, this isn't the first time the brand has used hybrid technology in sportier models; remember the CR-Z coupé and NSX supercar? So, does it work?