Honda e: can it live up to the looks?
Big fun, small range, loaded with tech, the electric Honda e is your Mini E alternative
Good things come to those who wait – and from those who wait. Often seen as a pioneer for cutting-edge tech, Honda is uncharacteristically late to the EV revolution. But the new Honda e could well be the car that makes evangelists of EV agnostics. Even against other promising newcomers such as PSA’s EV duo, the Vauxhall Corsa and Peugeot 208, and the Mini Electric, the Honda looks both striking and appealing, both retro and very modern.
When it was unveiled as a concept in 2017, the Honda was the star of the Frankfurt show. A modern take on the first Civic, with cute proportions and a starship cabin, it turned a lot of heads. But translating a great show car into a viable production car is no simple matter. Cool concepts always get ruined, right?
Not so. Honda’s EV has made it to production largely unscathed, complete with the ‘human face’ design at the front, concave horizontal inserts at either end and side cameras instead of mirrors, among its many design flourishes. It’s lost the suicide doors and white wheels, but otherwise it’s remarkably close to the concept.
It’s when you see the e’s cabin that you realise just how seriously Honda is taking this whole electric car thing. Climb in (notice the Range Rover Evoque-style flush-fit door handles) and you’re in a cabin that’s unlike anything Honda has ever previously put into production.
Crisp, simple, lines, a tasteful pale-wood dashboard and five interior screens lie before ⊲