The Honda Prelude will produce less noise compared to the upcoming Civic Hybrid.
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Car enthusiasts may find themselves puzzled as a new sports coupe from Honda is quieter than the automaker's upcoming hybrid sedan.
Last week, at Honda’s R&D center in Tochigi, Japan, I had the chance to briefly drive both the 2026 Honda Prelude and a prototype of the next-generation Honda Civic Hybrid. It was a lot to absorb, but one thing I quickly observed was that the Prelude operates almost silently at full speed, whereas the next Honda Civic Hybrid sounds quite similar to the current Civic Si. What? Fortunately, I'm not mistaken (at least regarding this issue), and it’s intentional.
Ito Koji, the development manager for the midsize hybrid program, told The Drive that “the Prelude is based on the glider concept.” This concept had been explained to us throughout the morning, aiming to create a vehicle that provides an enjoyable driving experience while being environmentally friendly. In essence, the new Prelude is designed to convey the “uplifting sensation of gliding through the air,” according to its engineers.
Koji remarked that in contrast to the Prelude, the next-gen hybrid is a “prototype based on Civic, and the sound intention is louder [referring to the Prelude].” This was designed to “showcase spectrum,” as explained by the engineer.
“We incorporated racing engine technology into this,” Koji stated, though he did not specify what type of race technology is being utilized in the hybrid engine.
In the cabin at full throttle, both the Prelude and the next-gen Civic Hybrid prototype had similar sounds. The latter even sounds like what I would expect a Civic Si to be like, had it been fitted with an automatic transmission. The natural sounds from the powertrain are amplified and transmitted into the cabin through the speakers. Additionally, Honda deliberately tuned the Civic Hybrid prototype to be louder externally, while ensuring the Prelude remains quiet as it passes by.
You might not detect the Prelude as it goes by on the road, but a next-gen Civic Hybrid being driven at full throttle will surely be audible.
Honda provided The Drive with travel, lodging, and access to the vehicles for the purpose of this story.
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The Honda Prelude will produce less noise compared to the upcoming Civic Hybrid.
A key engineer from Honda stated that this is deliberate because the vehicles are based on different concepts.