And That Feature Is…
That would be a manual transmission. Yes, Honda did say that the revived Prelude will be e-CVT-only even before it made its world premiere. Granted, it’s an enhanced and uprated version found in the Civic hybrid, but judging by comments made about it, there is some clamor for it.
Honda doesn’t offer many choices when it comes to a manual transmission. One can only get it in the Civic these days, either in Si or Type R guises. Of course, that wasn’t the case back then, but the sales figures have spoken, and so it’s unlikely we’ll ever see more manuals coming from the brand.
That said, Honda did make an electrified coupe with a manual about 15 years ago. If you’re reading this, chances are you know which car we’re talking about here.
Enter, The CR-Z
Introduced in 2010, the Honda CR-Z was a novel idea. It’s one of the few cars ever made that paired a hybrid powertrain with a manual transmission. And no, we’re not counting mild-hybrid vehicles that are/were offered with three pedals.
The CR-Z was powered by a 1.5-liter engine paired to a compact electric motor. It made 121 hp and 128 lb-ft of torque, so it wasn’t exactly a ball of fire. While it didn’t sell in great numbers, the little coupe did gain a cult following of sorts.
So, Honda showed that it can make a hybrid with a manual transmission. But even prior to the CR-Z, the company proved it’s possible to do that combination in the form of the first-generation Insight. That now begs the question, why doesn’t the new Prelude have one?
Honda Explains
Honda’s Large Product Lead, Horita Hidetomo, explained to Australian motoring publication Drive why making a manual hybrid isn’t possible, at least for mainstream vehicles, these days.
“The engine was the main one, the hybrid assist function was there. Now the electricity and the engine is nearly half and half today, that’s the new technology we offer right now. But we also understand that with that feature (e-CVT), the driving itself is not very enjoyable. So, S+ Shift is a new feature for the Prelude, and that way we can offer very exciting driving,” said Hidetomo.
To simplify, hybrids’ back was more of an assistant to the engine, but modern versions run more on electricity, therefore making a manual transmission redundant. Fair enough, but probably not the answer some folks were hoping for.
Still, one can dream of a Type R-powered version without the hybrid bits, right? There have been rumors surrounding it, but none have been confirmed by the automaker at the time of writing.
