Honda Still Undecided On US Prelude Sales
The newly revived Prelude is one of the coolest cars to come from Honda in a long time. Revealed in October at the Tokyo Auto Show, it’s a two-door coupe with a hybrid powertrain confirmed for eventual production. But Honda says it hasn’t decided whether to bring it to the United States market just yet.
The Prelude made a surprise appearance at this year’s Los Angeles Auto Show, where a Honda representative told Motor1 the car’s marketing plan has yet to be finalized, meaning it’s not clear where exactly it’s going to be sold or produced.
“That’s why it’s here, to gauge consumer interest,” a Honda spokesperson said.
The representative went onto say that while former Honda coupe buyers have been able to adopt to the Civic hatchback, there might be some pent-up demand for a true two-door vehicle in the next few years. The Prelude’s debut was met with much fanfare, with the internet set ablaze with hopes Honda would finally have a true, ground-up coupe in its lineup once again.
Upon its reveal, many believed the new Prelude to be a fully electric vehicle, though it was later revealed to be using a hybrid powertrain. Honda chief engineer Tomoyuki Yamagami said in an interview that the Prelude is meant to be a “prelude for all of the electric vehicles that Honda is going to be launching.”
Yamagami also said both left- and right-hand drive versions of the Prelude are in the pipeline, quelling any worries the car might be a Japan-only affair, a-la the lovely mid-engine S660. On the flip side, he also mentioned the Prelude isn’t going to be the “sportiest, zippiest car that’s going to be tossed into the circuits,” but rather a sporty coupe meant more for on-road usage.
If you live in the U.S. and have your sights set on the Prelude, our suggestion would be to reach out to Honda on your favorite social media platform and let them know. We bet registering your interest at your nearest dealership wouldn’t hurt either.
