Honda doing Civic duty

We’re all used to the sight of a tiny van converted into a coffee cart on wheels. If your children play winter sports, the sight of such a van on a frosty Saturday morning is almost as welcome as a team win.

Coffee cart images came to mind when the Good Oil saw photos of the electric Honda Urban EV Concept that stole last year’s show in Frankfurt, and will go into production early 2019.

The Urban EV Concept’s styling should retain its cheeky retro vibe, inspired by the original Civic from the early 70s. We should get our first look at the production car late this year.

Honda has not revealed specifics in regards to powertrains or range but we’re betting on a range between 160-320km from a single charge is likely.

The overt retro influence is punctuated by modern detail, from the LED headlight surrounds to the white multispoke alloy wheels and pair of message boards integrated into the front grille and rear deck. The doors are also rear-hinged as on a Rolls-Royce Phantom.

It should measure 3.9m long with Honda saying it’s 100mm shorter than a Jazz, but 350mm longer than the original Civic.

The cabin is all modern. A duo of widescreens dominate. There are bench seats front and rear, so how to access the second row is anyone’s guess.

Supplementing the futuristic feel is Honda’s Automated Network Assistant — a concierge-type service becoming more common as vehicles get more connected — and Honda has introduced the Honda Power Manager concept, a smart system for home energy.