Review: Honda Prelude e:HEV

You told me you were picking me up in a Honda,” said my daughter, seeing the beautiful bright blue Prelude waiting at the roadside.

She was mightily impressed, peering through the window to check it was me behind the wheel before opening the door.

I was collecting her and her partner from the airport, which perhaps wasn’t the best test of the hybrid Prelude’s capabilities.

Their cases and assorted bags fitted effortlessly into the boot, but my daughter’s partner fared less well in the rear seats, spending the hour-long journey home with his head wedged against the roof and his knees tucked up to his chin. My bad.

The Prelude is a coupe and should be regarded as a two-seater, with room in the rear for small children or extra luggage, rather than a hatchback.

It performs well in every other respect. It’s powerful without being unruly, and the hybrid system is barely noticeable.

Front-wheel drive, it combines a two-litre petrol engine with two electric motors. Acceleration from 0-62mph takes a brisk 8.2 seconds, while top speed is 117mph.

Official combined fuel consumption is 54.3mpg, and we achieved an impressive 52mpg over a week of mixed driving. Regenerative braking helps efficiency and, although the driver display shows when it kicks in, it never becomes annoying.

It’s also extremely comfortable – unless you’re in the back, of course. The suspension is firm but forgiving, while the steering is precise. The package feels well balanced. Its sweeping roofline, broad stance and sculpted bodywork give it real presence, while the vivid blue paint makes it even harder to miss.

On the road, it feels composed and easy to place, with enough punch for confident overtaking. It is more grand tourer than hardcore sports car, prioritising everyday comfort over sharp-edged excitement and drama.

It’s a long time since I’ve driven a new coupe, or even a three-door car. There aren’t many around these days, and sales may be modest. But for anyone wanting something different, the Prelude stands out from the plethora of SUVs flooding the market.

There’s just one model, the Advance, starting at a reasonable £40,180. With extras fitted to our test car, however, the price rose to £43,595.

Cabin materials are soft and high quality, while equipment includes adaptive cruise control, heated front seats and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, accessed through the nine-inch infotainment screen. Unlike many modern cars, the Prelude retains a useful mix of physical and digital controls.

The driving position isn’t as low-slung as you might expect from a coupe, nor particularly lofty, and visibility ahead is good.

When reversing, though, you’ll rely on the front and rear parking sensors and rear-view camera. Unfortunately, the camera’s resolution isn’t as sharp as it could be.

As with other Hondas, the gear selector uses push buttons. It’s not especially intuitive at first, but, like anything, becomes easier with practice.

Honda Prelude e:HEV

Price: £43,595 (£44,895 as tested)

Engine: 2.0-litre petrol hybrid

Power: 141bhp

Torque: 137lb/ft

Transmission: automatic e-CVT

Top speed: 117mph

0-62mph: 8.2 seconds

Economy: 54.3mpg

CO2 emissions: 117g/km