Prototype Drive: 2026 Prelude Both Hits and Misses
First glance: This appearance, I directly "wow" it
To be honest, when I first saw this 2026 Prelude prototype being pushed out of the corner of the exhibition hall, I almost lost my footing. The back lines, the low-lying posture, and the set of LED lights that look like a future warship-Honda finally went crazy in design again. But this is not the kind that is "crazy enough to be ugly", but the kind that is so handsome that people want to cry. Although it is a prototype car, it is said to be quite close to mass production. However... don't be happy too soon, wait until you finish looking at the interior before sighing.
Sitting in is like riding a roller coaster-skating directly from the top of the mountain to the bottom of the valley
The moment I opened the car door, I was still reminiscing about the stunning appearance. But as soon as he sat in the driver's seat, his heart thumped. The center console is made of a lot of hard plastic, and the buttons feel loose, completely unlike a 2026 car. The seat is quite comfortable and well wrapped, but the analog shift indicator on the dashboard-I admit it looks cool and a bit like the old NSX, but the cheap feeling around it makes it impossible to pretend to ignore it. Honda said this is a prototype and will be improved in mass production, but I always feel like they are deceiving me.
Motivation: There are surprises and "That's it?"
After starting, the hybrid system is in almost silent mode, and the motor pulls the car briskly out of the parking lot. This 2.0L hybrid is said to have about 235 horsepower. In fact, it is very strong in the front section. The motor has an instant torque boost, and it can make most fuel vehicles look at the taillights at the start of traffic lights. But after a certain speed, the "sound wave" when the engine intervened-oh no, it was a simulated sound wave-felt like a recording being played on the mobile phone, which was a bit embarrassing. Honda engineers explained that this is to regain the joy of driving, but I think that the sound of the real internal combustion engine is the soul, and electronic MSG will only numb the tongue.
Control: The chassis is great, but the steering wheel is a mystery
I must give a good comment on the chassis adjustment. The front McPherson and rear multi-link, coupled with Honda's unique skills, the rear of the car is very obedient when cornering, and the roll is controlled in place. It feels like being sucked on the ground. But guess what? The turning feels soft, like pinching a ball of dough that has been overgrown. Although several driving modes are available, even in "Sport+" mode, the feedback from the steering wheel is still too fake, and there is no direct, hard-core communication sense of previous generations of Prelude. Is this a "keyboard car god" car for young people, or does it really want to get back the blood?
Simulated manual gear shifting: Fun, but don't take it too seriously
What puzzles me the most about this prototype is the "simulated manual gear shifting" function. It allows you to experience a shift rhythm similar to manual gear through the steering wheel paddle. The motor and engine will cooperate with downshifts to replenish oil, and the speed pointer will also beat during the process... When I first played it, I shouted "Cool!". But after playing for 15 minutes, I began to doubt life-this thing is essentially a CVT hybrid, and you are just "acting" with a computer program. It's like playing tennis with VR. The racket feels right, but the racket can't touch the ball. It can be used as a toy, but don't expect it to replace a real MT.
Space? Think of the back row as a decoration
Since it's called Prelude, don't expect adults to sit in the back row. After I adjusted the driver's seat at my height of 170, I couldn't even fit my knees in the back row-yes, I couldn't fit in. The trunk is deeper than expected, and it's no problem to put two boarding boxes. But who buys Prelude to attract people and goods? If you really need home, the Civic next door is waving to you. This car is for you to enjoy the joy of "pseudo-manual" for one person or at most two people.
Summary: A date full of contradictions
After a full day of test driving, I felt like eating a French fries sprinkled with too much salt-some parts were super delicious, some parts were extremely salty. The appearance of the 2026 Prelude is absolute "hit", and the control base is also "hit", but the interior materials, steering feel and the embarrassing simulated sound are obvious "miss". Honda said this is a prototype and will be adjusted in mass production, so I am willing to wait. But if the final production version still looks like this "shiny on the outside and castrated on the inside", I can only say: This is a good car, but not the Prelude that makes me excited.