Honda Prelude review

Long story short, it's £40,995. Honda worked hard to find a figure high enough to justify its appearance in our showrooms but low enough to tempt people from a BMW. And avoid the shock value the FL5 Civic Type R caused when its RRP breached fifty grand...

Nevertheless, the Prelude’s profit margin will be negligible and the 500 cars Honda UK plans to shift this year will be sold as halo products to knowing enthusiasts, we suspect. With the Type R now retired in our market, this coupe picks up its mantle as brand leader. Which makes its £5k premium over an identically powered ZR-V crossover seem all the better value.

Black is the only standard colour, with white, grey and its bold, signature blue all optional for £700. There are styling packs available on top of that – a Black Pack is £1,390, the Illumination Pack is £1,265, and you can have black emblems for £345.

Oh, and don’t forget the burgeoning aftermarket scene with Mugen already releasing body kits and aero devices. It’ll probably prove pricey to ship some of that across to Britain – but don’t let us stop you.

What kit do I get for the money?

As well as 19in wheels (diamond-cut alloys are a £1,995 option), the Prelude comes with keyless entry and start, heated front seats, front and rear parking sensors, the nine-inch screen and 10.2in driver’s display, a wireless charging pad, adaptive cruise control, an eight-speaker Bose sound system, leather upholstery and Honda’s suite of active safety aids.

If you want the blue and white interior, you’ll need to fork out on the cost-option paint to unlock it.

Its BMW 220i Coupe arch-rival starts at a whisker under £40k, with identical power, swifter 0-62mph dash, and thirstier economy. It’ll better accommodate rear passengers and you may rejoice in its more traditional rear-wheel-drive layout and regular 2.0-litre petrol turbo/eight-speed automatic drivetrain. But it won’t attract the fascinated inquisition of other road users anywhere near as much.