- Japanese tester reportedly timed the Prelude at over 9 seconds to 62 mph.
- Hybrid coupe is significantly heavier and less powerful than the Toyota GR86.
- A US launch is planned for late fall, though key details remain under wraps.
Update: Honda got back to us, and while the company didn’t provide an official 0–60 mph time, a spokesperson said they expect the 2026 Prelude to post results similar to the Civic Hybrid, adding that, curiously, it doesn’t include any launch control mode or setting.
It’s worth noting that in independent tests we’ve seen, the launch control trick in the Civic Hybrid trims more than a full second off the 0–100 km/h (62 mph) sprint time.
“Honda traditionally does not report 0-60 mph (0-100 kph) figures as the results are dependent on a number of external factors such as road surface, ambient temperatures as well as internal factors like battery SOC for hybrids,” the spokesperson explained.
“While the Prelude shares some performance components with the Civic Type R, it was not engineered to compete with it. We’re confident the new Prelude will deliver acceleration numbers comparable to our other two-motor hybrid models like the Civic Hybrid. The new Prelude does not have a dedicated launch control mode or setting.”
Update by John Halas. Original story continues below.
The Honda Prelude is back and it will arrive at US dealerships later this fall. When it does, customers will find the sporty styling isn’t backed up by impressive performance.
At least that’s according to a new video from Japan, which claims that the car accelerates from 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) in 9.08 seconds. Another run in Sport mode clocked 9.10 seconds.
The Launch Control Question
However, it’s unclear whether the Prelude includes a launch control function, either through a dedicated mode or a specific pedal combination (see the Civic hybrid video below), or if it was used here. Without that context, it’s difficult to know how representative those figures really are. We’ve reached out to Honda and will update this story when we hear back.
More: Honda Didn’t Expect Boomers To Overrun Prelude Orders But Here We Are
That figure puts the new Prelude more than a second behind the 180 hp (134 kW / 182 PS) European Honda Civic Hybrid e:HEV, which posts a manufacturer-claimed 0–62 mph time of 7.8 seconds.
For additional context, Car and Driver recorded 6.2 seconds to 60 mph in the 2026 Civic Sport Touring Hybrid, which also produces 200 hp, while the non-hybrid Civic Sport sedan with 150 hp managed 8.9 seconds. Even Toyota’s base Corolla hatchback clocked a quicker 8.3-second 0–60 run in the same tests.
Keep in mind, there’s only a small difference between 0–60 and 0–62 mph times, typically around 0.2 seconds, and it can vary slightly depending on gearing.
Given Car and Driver’s 0–60 time for the 200 hp Civic Hybrid and the comparable weight between that model and the Prelude, it’s fair to treat this result with some skepticism and expect the new coupe to post a similar sprint time to its sedan sibling.
Either way, the Prelude wasn’t exactly shaping up to be a mind-blowing sports car. Quite the opposite as it has a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine as well as a two-motor hybrid system. This gives the front-wheel drive coupe a combined output of 200 hp (149 kW / 203 PS).
The Japanese model starts at ¥6,179,800 ($40,585) and weighs 3,219 lbs (1,460 kg). This means it has 28 hp (21 kW / 28 PS) less than the Toyota GR86 and weighs 408 lbs (185 kg) more than its lightest variant. On the bright side, the Prelude has a WLTC fuel consumption rating of 23.6 km/L (55.5 mpg).
Handling Over Horsepower
While the Prelude might not be super fast, Honda paid a lot of attention to handling. In particular, the car has adaptive dampers and a dual-axis strut front suspension borrowed from the Civic Type R. They’re joined by four-piston Brembo front brakes that are also shared with the hot hatch.
We can expect to learn more in the coming weeks, but some people are already blaming the lackluster performance on the Prelude’s S+ Shift system.
It’s designed to mimic a traditional eight-speed transmission “through seamless coordination between the engine and high-power motor, including downshift blips, rev matching and gear holding.”
