Saving Up For The New Honda Prelude? We Have Bad News For You

Meanwhile, others believe that the Honda Civic-based model shouldn't bear the Prelude nameplate. Well, reports from Japan may add to those things - leaked pricing reveals the Prelude will even be pricier than the Civic Type R.

If the leaked information from Creative Trend holds true, the Honda Prelude will hit showrooms in Japan this September with a price tag of ¥6,179,800, or around $41,726 at current exchange rates. In comparison, the most expensive Honda Civic Type R you can buy in the Land of Rising Sun is the Racing Black Package, which retails for ¥5,998,300 ($40,500). Of note, both prices come with consumer tax dues.

A Surprising Price Positioning Given Its History
The pricing is certainly surprising, as the Prelude was historically positioned as a budget sports coupe; the use of the Civic Type R's suspension setup may be a culprit for its wildly expensive price tag. Moreover, analyzing the prices in Japan reveals that the Prelude will be pricier than the Nissan Z (Fairlady Z in its home market) and the Toyota GR Supra, depending on the trim level that buyers will choose.

But that's not all the information revealed by Creative Trend. According to the publication, the Prelude will come without options available, sans for paint colors. Crystal Black Pearl and Flame Red are standard options, but Meteoroid Gray Metallic and the Moonlit White Pearl that you see here both come at a premium, specifically ¥38,500 ($260) and ¥85,000 ($574), respectively.

Fuel efficiency has been leaked too, rated at an average of 23.6 km/L or 55.5 mpg using the more-forgiving WLTP cycle. Note that this figure will likely change as the Prelude arrives stateside.

The Prelude Will Be Limited Upon Release
Apart from the standard Prelude, Japanese fans will also have the chance to buy the Prelude Honda ON Limited Edition - an online-exclusive model that's even pricier at ¥6,540,000 ($44,158). It comes with a two-tone theme (black roof), a dealer option pack, and Honda's maintenance package. However, there are many restrictions on this purchase, including a ¥100,000 ($675) application fee, the limitation to one unit per person, and the requirement that buyers should be a Honda Total Care member for at least one year.

Creative Trend also reveals that the Honda Prelude will be available to order on September 5, 2025, at 9:00 am, local time. No advanced orders for the returning model, which is highly unusual, but what's more surprising is that, given the hype that came with the model, Honda will be limiting the initial production to just 2,000 units.

Hopefully, the Prelude's US arrival will have a different scenario. We'll know more in a few weeks, including the much-awaited price.