May 4, 2016

Many of you Honda lovers may remember the Honda Prelude, a fun yet affordable coupe modeled loosely after the Accord. To the dismay of many drivers, it was retired back in 2001 when Honda put their efforts towards the SUV market. However, the Prelude might be making a tiny comeback, according to Adam Krentzman of AutoBlog, who recently test drove the 2016 Honda Civic Coupe and became convinced this vehicle is the “spiritual successor of the Prelude.”

Krentzman makes several valid points, as the 2016 Civic Coupe has many distinct Preludian qualities both inside and out. For starters, the two have nearly identical length (178 inches and 176.9 inches) and width (69 inches and 70.8 inches). As far as styling goes, the new Civic Coupe channels the Prelude design with its longer hood, short rear deck, and low wide stances, giving it a cab forward design. Finally, the Honda Prelude was often a technology guinea pig that Honda used to test out their latest technologies on, including torque vectoring and four wheel steering. The new Civic Coupe is following suit as the first U.S. Honda car featuring a turbocharged engine, available safety technology, and connectivity features like Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

Once upon a time, Car and Driver named the Honda Prelude the best handling car for under $30,000. Now, we hope the 2016 Honda Civic Coupe will be given the same title! Stop by Clinton Honda to test drive this incredible vehicle and decide for yourself.

“2016 Civic Coupe: The Prelude Is Back!” Autoblog. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 May 2016. <http://www.autoblog.com/2016/04/27/return-of-prelude-2016-honda-civic-coupe/>.