The sense of unity with the driver is incredible! Honda Prelude vs. Audi Q6 e-tron [GENROQ’s deputy editor selects hidden gems for 2025]

Sports Car Edition: Honda Prelude

2025 was a year filled with spectacular super sports cars and premium SUVs for GENROQ magazine, including the Ferrari 12 Chilindori, Lamborghini Temerario, Aston Martin Vanquish, Bentley Continental GT, Rolls-Royce Ghost Series II, Land Rover Defender OCTA, and Cadillac Lyriq, to ​​name just a few.

Here, we will introduce the personal hidden gems of 2025 selected by the editorial staff of GENROQ magazine, who have covered such flashy cars (these two cars were truly amazing!). The personal hidden gems selected by GENROQ editorial staff member Ishikawa are the two models in the sports car category, the Honda Prelude, and the SUV category, the Audi Q6 e-tron quattro.

Let’s start with the sports car section, the Honda Prelude. In fact, this car is much cooler in person than it looks in photos. Those familiar with previous Preludes may find the three-door fastback style strange, but up close it has a sporty presence.

The powertrain is Honda’s unique 2.0-liter hybrid “e:HEV” with a virtual 8-speed “Honda S+Shift.” It runs on the motor at low and medium speeds and on the engine for high-speed cruising; it’s a hybrid sports car that takes advantage of the advantages of both series and parallel systems.

I test drove it on both a closed course and on public roads, and the driving experience can be summed up in one word: “Amazing!” The chassis and suspension inherited from the Civic Type R have been optimized for the Prelude, giving the body an incredible sense of rigidity. The Prelude is a sports car that responds faithfully and smoothly to the driver’s intentions, and its suspension is also incredibly flexible. Its cornering performance in particular is excellent, with powerful turning capabilities. I can confidently recommend it as one of the best sports cars I’ve driven this year.

SUV Edition: Audi Q6 e-tron quattro

For the SUV category, we recommend the Audi Q6 e-tron quattro. The Q6 is Audi’s first production model to feature the BEV-specific PPE (Premium Platform Electric), jointly developed by Audi and Porsche. Equipped with an ASM (Asynchronous Motor) on the front axle and a newly developed PSM (Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor) on the rear axle, it delivers a maximum output of 285kW and a maximum torque of 580Nm.

The reason why we chose the BEV Audi SUV as this year’s hidden gem is because of the high quality of its driving. With its incredibly stable straight-line stability and smooth steering feel that makes you feel as if you are touching the road with your palm, it is unmistakably an “Audi,” even though it is a BEV.

When it comes to BEVs, there are many models that, when you step on the accelerator, use their abundant torque to accelerate so fast that your head hits the headrest, but the Q6 is far from that kind of rude behavior. It accelerates linearly as much as you step on the accelerator, giving you a sense of unity with the driver. This is truly a BEV for adults.

Although the Prelude and the Q6 e-tron are in different categories, they both share a common theme of focusing on refinement and a sense of unity with the driver. Perhaps that’s why I was drawn to these two cars this year.

TEXT◉ISHIKAWA Ryohei

PHOTO◉KOBAYASHI Kunihisa/TAMURA Wataru