HONDA VS MINI
2020’s two most exciting electric city cars are here. Is this the moment EVs go mainstream?
I’ve heard of manufacturers going to extreme lengths to show the capabilities of their product, but Honda arranging the worst storm the Costa Blanca has seen in 30 years, just to demo the rainrepellent coating on its new wing cameras? That’s beyond the call.
But not even Storm Gloria, or knowing Mr Kew is donning a Hawaiian shirt, porn-star shades and living out his Scarface fantasies in Miami while I’m splashing around somewhere near Benidorm, can dampen my positivity for this little car. It’s the Urban EV Concept that became a legend, the legend that became a prototype and the prototype that became the dinkiest, most desirable thing since the Suzuki Jimny. And I want one.
So will thousands of others, many of whom would’ve considered themselves allergic to electric until now. That’s the power of good design. But a baby face only takes you so far (just ask Ollie), there are hurdles to scale before embarking on Honda e ownership.
While Honda has kept the dimensions to Fiat-500-plus-a-bit and battery size to a compact 35.5kWh, the price starts at a juicy £26,160 for the 134bhp car, rising to £28,660 for the 152bhp, higherspec Advance model. And that includes the £3,500 government sweetener. To justify prices that eclipse the larger, rangier VW ID.3, Honda hasn’t held back with the trinkets.
As standard, you get cameras for wing mirrors and rear-view mirror, 100kW DC rapid charging capability in 30 minutes, an app to precondition the car and babysit it while it charges, too many driver-assist systems to write down and several acres of screen. And it’s all wrapped in a subtly retro colour and material palette designed to click with the cheeky exterior.
So you’ve made your peace with price, what about space? The rear is just big enough for me to sit behind me, but me is 5ft 8in. The boot is small – 171 litres with the rear seats up (about the same as a Fiat 500), but 861 litres with them down, which is decent, if you can use it as a two-seater. Honda has done its maths here – it’s just practical enough to justify if your mind’s already made up.
Now... range. A claimed 137 miles (or 125 miles if you upsize from 16s to 17s) means 100–110 miles in the real world, which isn’t