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Western & Barnetts Honda is delighted to announce that the all-new Honda Prelude e:HEV has been awarded the prestigious ‘Best Coupe’ title at the 2025/2026 New Car World Championships, as voted for by the esteemed Best Cars of the Year (Best COTY) judging panel.
Following its highly anticipated return after 25 years, the Honda Prelude has made an immediate impact across Europe. Combining a sleek, modern design with advanced hybrid technology and Honda’s innovative S+ Shift, the new Prelude delivers the unmistakable ‘joy of driving’ that has long defined this iconic model.
The award recognises the Prelude’s unique blend of style, performance, and engineering excellence. Its hybrid e:HEV powertrain pairs a 2.0-litre petrol engine with Honda’s dual electric motor automatic transmission, producing 184PS (135kW) while offering smooth power delivery, outstanding efficiency, and refined driving characteristics.
Tomoyuki Yamagami, Prelude’s chief engineer, expressed his delight at the accolade:
"We thank Best Cars of the Year / The New Car World Championships for this prestigious award.
"What we have done with the Prelude is like creating a wonderful dish using the best ingredients you have close at hand. And then we added a bespoke topping that makes our dish special, tasty and unique in the world. Then, the more of this dish you eat, the better it tastes. That’s what we believe we’ve created here, especially with the powertrain, handling and S+ mode.”
Japan-based Best COTY / New Car World Championships judge Peter Lyon commended Honda’s approach:
“Honda may have dug deep into its extensive parts bin to create the new Prelude - borrowing the high-performance chassis, suspension and Brembo brake packages from the Civic Type R and the 200-hp hybrid engine and CVT from the Civic e:HEV - but what it has brought to showrooms is much more than the sum of those parts.
“The Prelude deserves this win. The styling is fresh and eye-catching while engineers have added something quite unique to elevate driver interaction. The new Prelude takes the much-disliked CVT and not only gives it a realistic 8-speed shift pattern with paddles, but adds a bespoke S+ Shift mode that enables the car to automatically change down with a blipping function going into corners.”
Rebecca Adamson, Head of Automobile, Honda Motor Europe – UK, added:
“We’re thrilled that the all-new Honda Prelude has won the Best Coupe accolade at the New Car World Championships 2025/2026. Driving enthusiasts from around the world have been eagerly anticipating the return of this iconic nameplate and I’m delighted that Prelude is already award-winning.”
Customers eager to experience the new Prelude won’t have long to wait. From 7th November 2025, the model will be available to order through Honda UK’s flexible omni-channel approach - whether online, through a local retailer, or a combination of both.
With its dynamic performance, cutting-edge hybrid technology, and early award success, the all-new Honda Prelude marks an exciting new chapter for Honda’s electrified sports line-up.
8 Westerton Road, East Mains Industrial Estate, Broxburn
West Lothian EH52 5AU
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