Honda & Acura Hybrid Prototypes Revealed: 54 mpg & US Launch by 2028

The Japanese automaker Honda showcased two prototypes of hybrids on May 14, 2026, during the 2026 Honda Business Briefing in Tokyo. Between the two, one is a sedan that comes under the banner of Honda, and the other is an SUV under Honda’s Acura. 

Notably, these two hybrids are part of the upcoming 15 cars that the carmaker is planning to introduce in the North American market, especially in the US, with the next-generation hybrid technology in the next few years.

They come with these plans after cancelling a bunch of EVs they previously planned to introduce in the US market that include the Honda 0 Sedan, Honda 0 SUV, Acura RSX, and even the Afeela EV, which was to be built with the collaboration of Sony.

Interestingly, the Japanese have planned to introduce these two prototypes as real hybrids by 2028; they haven’t confirmed any date of months, however. Many auto enthusiasts expect that the sedan that is based on the 0 Sedan concept may come first in the first half, followed by the SUV that is inspired by the RSX concept in the second half.

The image of the Honda prototypes that came out of the event reveals almost all about their front, side, and rear. 

The Honda sedan hybrid comes with ultra-thin horizontal LED headlamps, two-piece LED DRLs, a sharply sloped hood, and a dark grille with an air intake at the front end; on the side, it features a fastback roofline, semi-hidden door handles, and dual-tone multi-spoke swanky alloy wheels.

Its rear gets a full-width red LED taillight just below the roof-integrated roofline, a chunky gloss-black bumper, and a body-coloured, roof-mounted antenna in a shark-fin shape. 

And on the other hand, Honda’s Acura hybrid SUV features a chiselled nose, minimalist and horizontal LED headlights giving a modern look, and a large blackout grille with an air intake for the engine cooling.

In profile, it also has flush-type door handles that reduce drag and improve aerodynamics, but features mesh alloy wheels, a muscular crossover silhouette giving it an SUV look, and blacked-out ORVMs in aerodynamic design. At the rear, it gets V-shaped taillights for modern styling. It also has a shark-fin antenna and a chunky bumper.

Both of these prototypes from Honda and its subsidiary brand will use the next-generation hybrid technology, which is still under development. Reportedly, it is 10% more efficient than the current hybrid technology, meaning these upcoming sedans and SUVs will consume less fuel and result in lower emissions.

The carmaker hasn’t yet confirmed that these two models will be introduced to the North American market as HEVs (hybrid electric vehicles), which support self-charging, or as PHEVs (plug-in hybrid electric vehicles) that need to be plugged in, or as both. 

Reports suggest that Honda will introduce them with HEV; however, it is yet to be seen which powertrain they will introduce. As with the next-generation hybrid technology, they are going to be more efficient, so it is expected that their mileage will be around 53-54 mpg (23-24 kmpl), as the current technology comes with 48-49 mpg (20-21 kmpl).

A launch in India is very unlikely, as the carmakers have said that they are going to introduce it only in North America. Still, there’s no word on its pricing in the US. It is expected that the sedan may be available for sale with a pricing range from $33,000 to $48,000 (₹27.5 to ₹30 lakh) and the SUV from $48,000 to $65,000 (₹35 to ₹40 lakh).