Honda Prelude: Master of deception
The Honda Prelude is deceptive. It is not quite as fast as it looks. But it is still more fun than expected - and confidently overplays its technical secret.
Do you remember? Alfetta, Capri, Celica, Fuego, Manta, Scirocco or Prelude were the heroes of the era of aerobics and skinny jeans. In the 1980s, such compact sports coupés were the affordable dreams of young people. But then came GTIs with hatchbacks, and the zeitgeist overtook the trend. The Prelude was discontinued in 2002. Now it is boldly back.
Which is fun: In the Prelude, we simply drive off without studying the touchscreen for long - because buttons can be operated blindly. Just like in the old days, because a coupé is all about driving. On the straight, we first think: well, there was more tinsel back then, just a hybrid. The 135 kW/184 hybrid horsepower doesn't go off like crazy: 8.2 seconds to 100 km/h. But we're simply spoiled, once a 911 Porsche was as fast as the Honda is today. Therein lies the trick.
Low weight instead of lots of horsepower
Because: instead of pure power, there is little weight (1.5 tons) and a lot of manoeuvrability (length 4.53 meters) for brisk country trips. The Honda feels right at home on these: not an extreme cornerer and not a go-kart, but it loves the ease of cornering and has very comfortable suspension. It never roars brute force, but it is nice. For the fun of saving money: Officially, the fuel consumption is 5.2 l/100 km. With a lot of pure electric driving in the city, it's around five, and 6.1 l/100 km overland.
The fun of driving with fuel
How so? The Prelude is technically complex, but it feels simple. When we accelerate, the petrol engine revs up. And sends the power to the front wheels? It doesn't (except at high speeds): the petrol engine generates electricity as a «range extender», which fuels the electric drive. This is so perfectly coordinated that it is never noticeable. The dual-clutch automatic? Not really, but a continuously variable automatic with eight artificial gears depending on the mode. Again, so skillfully that it looks authentic. And it really does create that sports coupé feeling.
For better - and for worse: There is plenty of space in the front, but adults risk broken knee joints in the back. No matter, because if we were to get in the back, the backrests of the front seats would always have to be readjusted. Just like in the old days. And as in the past, the same applies today: small sports coupés are never unaffordable, but they are no bargains. The Prelude costs from 47,900 francs.
Expert opinion: Honda Prelude e:HEV Hybrid
In the SUV age, the Prelude is not a hit: a pity, because we miss the small sports coupés. And the successful drive saves the fuel feeling into the modern age with electricity.
Advantages
+ Simply ingenious technology
+ Ingeniously simple operation
+ High level of good humor
Disadvantages
- Not exactly enormous power
- Naturally tiny base
