Introduced on 7 November 1996, the fifth generation retained an FF layout with an independent front suspension and 63/37 weight distribution. Most fifth-generation Honda Preludes came with 16-inch (410 mm) aluminum alloy wheels with all-season 205/50 R16 87V tires, featured the 11.1-inch front brakes like the 1996 VTEC model, and most Preludes also received a 5-lug hub (not the 4-lug wheel hub of older models). The Prelude was only available in three models for Canada and two models for the US (the Base and Type SH). All models came with 16-inch alloy wheels and a 200HP (203 PS) 2.2-liter DOHC VTEC 4-cylinder engine. The 2.0i and JDM Si trims came with 195/60 R15 steel wheel, and the JDM Xi came with 14-inch steel wheels. Unlike the North American market Preludes, JDM Preludes came with rear windscreen wipers, except for the Xi. Australian and JDM Preludes weigh less than American and European models: VTi-R manual weighs 1,268 kg (2,795 lb), autos weigh 1,298 kg (2,862 lb), and the ATTS weighs 1,308 kg (2,884 lb). The ATTS model received Honda's Active Torque Transfer System; the equivalent model was called the Type S in Japan, VTi-S in Europe, and Type SH ("Super Handling") in North America.[16] ATTS was designed to counteract the understeer inherent in a front-wheel drive car, but the Prelude's 63.1 percent front weight distribution was too much for the system to successfully mask.[16]
The fifth-generation Prelude marked a return to the more square bodystyle of the third generation (1987–1991), in an attempt to curb slumping sales of the fourth-generation bodystyle. All models and trim packages stayed within the BB-chassis code (BB5-BB9) and housed either an H-series or F-Series engine: