Jakarta –
Honda made a surprise on the first day of the Japan Mobility Show 2023. The Honda Prelude, which had been ‘dead’ for more than 20 years, was revived, and now the engine is equipped with a battery and an electric motor to become a hybrid car.
At Tokyo Big Sight, Wednesday (25/10) morning Japan time, the Honda Prelude was reintroduced to journalists from all over the world at the end of the presentation session conducted by the President, CEO and Representative of Honda Motor Co, Toshihiro Mibe.
“We know that our customers expect something more from Honda, namely sports car product models. At the car electrification business meeting we held last year, I talked about future sports car models. Today, to end my presentation, “I want to show one of them – a special sports car model. This is the Prelude Concept,” said Toshihiro Mibe.
Even though its status is still a concept car, the appearance of the Prelude can be said to be a surprise. It is known that the last generation of Prelude released to the global market was in 2001.
Honda’s chances of turning the Prelude into a truly mass-produced car are also very large. They said that the car, which was first released in 1978, was ‘intended for production’.
President, CEO and Representative of Honda Motor Co, Toshihiro Mibe, introduces the Honda Prelude with a Hybrid Engine Photo: Doni Wahyudi/detik.com
“When will this car be produced? Around the 2020s. So between 2020 and 2030,” joked Assistant Chief Designer, Norihito Ohnuma, to journalists from Indonesia at the Honda booth.
The Honda Prelude concept that appeared at the Japan Mobility Show appeared with a very strong sporty feel. It looks like a two-door coupe with symmetrical body curves, which confirms that this car is a high-performance vehicle.
The sporty impression is strengthened by the installation of Brembo brakes behind 20 inch tires. Instead of cameras as found on many future electrified cars, rearview mirrors are still attached to both sides of the Prelude. Complementing the Prelude’s sporty design, a mini-sized spoiler can be found at the rear.
When asked about the performance and electric motor that will be included in this latest Prelude, Norihito Ohnuma refused to comment further. One thing he guarantees is that this electric Prelude will provide ‘joy and satisfaction when driven’.
“This is not a (full) electric car. The Prelude is a hybrid car, it will have two electric motors,” said Tomoyuki Yamagami, Honda’s Large Project Leader Chief Engineer.
Honda Prelude Becomes the Pioneer of Honda Sports Cars in the Future
On the same occasion, Toshihiro Mibe revealed that the Prelude would be the beginning of the sports cars that Honda would release.
Honda said he was still and will continue to develop high-performance cars.
“Honda has always been committed to creating sporty vehicles. This model will be an introduction to our future models that will inherit the ‘joy of driving’ into a fully electrified future and illustrate Honda’s unchanging Sport Car mindset.”
“The Prelude Concept is a special sports car model that will offer a thrilling experience that will make you want to continue and extraordinary excitement that you have never felt before,” explained Toshihiro Mibe.
Watch the video “Surprise! Honda Introduces Tiny Electric Car for the Indonesian Market”
(din/lth)
2023-10-25 14:02:17
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