Ever since Honda revived the Prelude, enthusiasts have been clamoring for a manual gearbox. However, any remaining hope for a third pedal has now completely disappeared. A senior company official confirmed at the 2025 Japan Mobility Show that there are no plans for a manual version, citing incompatibility with the hybrid powertrain. And while we saw it coming from a mile away, it’s still sad to hear.
Talk to Australia Driving Honda’s chief product officer, Horita Hidetomo, explained that the company couldn’t do manual work with the Prelude’s hybrid setup. Although this was technically possible for the CR-Z and even Insight, that is no longer the case due to the Prelude’s higher level of electrification.
“The engine (in the Insight and CR-Z) was the main engine (the reason the manual was available), and the hybrid assist function was there.” Now the electricity and motor have almost halved today, and this is the new technology we are introducing now.
Honda I knew from the beginning that offering the Prelude only with an automatic transmission would make the “driving itself very unenjoyable,” which is why the car was designed with the S+ Shift driving mode. Alloy shift paddles behind the steering wheel allow the driver to shift through simulated gears, complete with virtual rev-matched shifts and a synthetic sound through the speakers to mimic the experience of a traditional manual transmission.
Photo by: Honda
The S+ Shift functionality will no longer be exclusive to introductionas Honda plans to implement similar industrial gear changes in other hybrid cars. It simulates an eight-speed transmission, and when the feature is turned off, paddles can be used to adjust regenerative braking levels instead.
The decision to skip the manual gearbox goes beyond mechanical limitations. Most drivers don’t want to change gears anymore: “(It’s automatic because) it meets the needs of the day,” Hidetomo said. While this may be true, the Prelude feels like one of those cars that should have a clutch pedal. Then again, it’s unclear how high the capture rate actually is, so the S+ Shift system may be a better compromise.
Despite initial doubts that the car would not sell, the Prelude got off to a strong start in Japan. Honda has already received it Eight times more orders From the monthly sales target, before the car is launched in the United States, Europe and other markets. To shorten waiting times, production is already being increased. Time will tell whether this early momentum will continue or fade as initial enthusiasm wanes.
