Does it work? Honda E’s big screens

The Honda E’s showstopping infotainment system is surely a massive distraction, right? We don’t think so. By Jake Groves

We frequently lament the cleaning up of cockpits to the point of form being prioritised over function, but Honda completely ignored our cries and gave its new EV an interior dominated by touchscreens. Sure, it looks great, and different from other screen-based cabins – but is it a good idea to go so screen-heavy?

Firstly, the screens themselves. You wouldn’t really clock at first that it’s five separate entities tied together in one: two bookend screens for the mirror-replacing cameras, two central screens for the infotainment and one non-touchscreen for the driver’s instruments.

We like the use of a matte finish to stave off bright sunlight. Unlike the Mini Electric equivalent, this finish doesn’t make the screen fuzzy, and it does a good job of minimising the effects of grubby fingerprints. And, while they’re entirely superfluous, the digital wallpapers and the aquarium feature that can keep the kids entertained when the car’s at a stop prove Honda can still let its hair down and do things for the hell of it. You can even use the car’s in-built three-pin plug and HDMI port to attach a games console while you’re waiting for your E to charge.

Then there’s the operating system. It’s clean and simple, with large tile-like buttons to give your incoming finger some real estate to tap what you want accurately. And, while it looks daunting on first glance, when you’ve customised it to your liking it’s easy to navigate. Having two large 12.3inch screens allows you to run two ‘apps’ at once. So, for instance, you can set it up to have navigation running on the one closest to you while you’re driving, and leave your passenger in charge of the jukebox. Flipping the displays is easy, done via a fixed ‘button’ on the display closest to you in the top right-hand corner.

Any gripes? While the digital door mirror screen placement is easy on the eye, the lack of a night vision feature means the ‘mirrors’ aren’t at their usability peak during the wee hours, so you start relying more on the lane-keep and blind-spot assistance systems.

But, overall, this is how to do big screens properly. We’ve been reluctantly weaned onto them over many years, particularly by Tesla and Mercedes’ ever-growing screens, but Honda shows they can have a wow factor while simultaneously being easy to use, especially when a few features still have physical switchgear.

Does it work?

Generally, yes. After years of giant Tesla and Mercedes screens, this is much easier to get used to, and we suspect that the typical Honda E owner will be tech-savvy enough to make the most of it.