Honda Motor Company announced it plans to launch the all-new hybrid-electric Prelude sports coupe in the US late next year, as the Japanese automaker looks to return one of its “most iconic nameplates” to its lineup. Honda first unveiled the hybrid-electric Honda Prelude Concept car at the 2023 Japan Mobility Show, followed by an appearance at the 2023 Los Angeles Auto Show.

Since the first-generation Prelude sports coupe went into production in 1978, Honda has used the model to introduce innovative new technologies, including its four-wheel steering (4WS) system and its torque-vectoring Active Torque Transfer System (ATTS).

The sixth-generation electrified Prelude will debut the Honda S+ Shift, which the company describes as 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”.

Jessika Laudermilk, assistant vice president of US distributor Honda Auto Sales, said in a statement: “The return of the Honda Prelude as a hybrid-electric sports model demonstrates our continued commitment to offering a variety of exhilarating products to meet the needs of our customers.”