Digital Artist’s Honda Prelute is an Imaginary Pickup Based on the New Prelude
We can always turn to the web and artificial intelligence to get answers to those eternal "what if...?" questions. In particular, it’s pretty cool to see what digital artists can produce when it comes to imagining new vehicles that wouldn’t exist otherwise.
One of them, known as Theottle on Instagram, is back at it again, this time transforming the new Honda Prelude into a pickup.
- Also: 2026 Honda Prelude is Almost as Expensive as a Civic Type R
- Also: 2026 Honda Prelude: Five Things to Know
Apparently, the idea came to him when someone mistakenly wrote "Prelute" when referring to the Japanese sports coupe. As you may know, in some countries including Australia, a ute is a pickup-like utility vehicle, typically in a compact size. The result is a Prelude with four doors instead of two, extra ground clearance and a cargo bed at the rear.
The headlights and taillights are unchanged, but the artist has given the vehicle a more robust look by redesigning the rocker panels, adding some running boards and extending the protective body cladding to the wheel arches. The finishing touch is a pair of roof rails that can accommodate crossbars and racks of all kinds.
Most of these add-ons were borrowed from an existing compact pickup, namely the Hyundai Santa Cruz, which would be the Prelute’s main competitor if it were real. Cargo bed size isn't specified, but it looks to be no more than 4 feet long.
There’s no point in hoping for a little brother to the Ridgeline, obviously. Honda has no plans to compete with the likes of the Santa Cruz and Ford Maverick.
The new Prelude coupe, which has started arriving at Canadian dealerships in recent days, will be limited to a few hundred units during the first year of sales. As we previously reported, the only trim level available costs $49,990 (MSRP), which is almost as expensive as a Civic Type R. On top of that, it’s a hybrid with just 200 horsepower, no manual transmission and much less interior space.
As for the Ridgeline, which dates back to 2017 in its current form, a new generation could arrive as a 2027 model, but this remains to be confirmed. It’s expected to be similar to the redesigned 2026 Passport and more robust in a bid to widen its appeal among fans of conventional midsize pickups. The 3.5-litre V6, whose reputation for reliability has been somewhat tarnished, will likely return under the hood, but a hybrid variant could also be introduced.
