New Honda e:Ny1 electric SUV revealed

• Range of up to 256 miles
• New design language for Honda EVs
• Honda’s second EV, above Honda e city car

Honda has announced its second electric vehicle, named the Honda e:Ny1 and due to go on sale later in 2023. It’s the brand’s first electric SUV, sitting above the Honda e city car as its next EV. The e:Ny1 will usher in a new design language for the brand’s electric lineup, which will include a new Honda logo in white.

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The e:Ny1 will sit on the same platform as the HR-V small hybrid SUV, with an identical-sized wheelbase, albeit with a larger boot capacity of 346 litres. It’s just a few centimetres longer than the Peugeot e-2008, but it’s beaten on boot space by the Kia Niro EV’s 476-litre capacity. The e:Ny1 will go up against these small SUVs as well as other rivals such as the Hyundai Kona Electric, Citroen e-C4 and Vauxhall Mokka Electric.

Honda e:Ny1 design

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The electric SUV’s design doesn’t look to differ too much from the e:Ny1 Prototype which was showcased last year; itself an evolution of the e:prototype from the 2021 Shanghai Motor Show.

It features a blanked-off grille in a similar fashion to that of the Kia Niro EV and MG ZS EV, in contrast to the HR-V’s conventional grille. Behind it sits the e:Ny1’s charging port, and a subtle light hidden beneath the bonnet’s leading edge moves from left to right to indicate when the car is charging. It will also flash if there’s a fault and it even ‘winks’ goodbye when you remove the cable.

Honda e:Ny1 performance, range and charging

The e:Ny1 will be front-wheel drive with one single electric motor, producing 201bhp and paired with a 62kWh battery, providing around 249 miles between charges.

Charging speeds don’t look to be class-leading, however – with a maximum DC rate of 78kW, which Honda claims takes the battery from 10-80% charge in around 45 minutes, the e:Ny1 is roughly on par with the Kia Niro EV and behind the Jeep Avenger’s 100kW maximum. Honda says that 11 minutes of charging will provide a top-up of 62 miles of range for the e:Ny1.

Honda e:Ny1 interior and technology

The Honda e:Ny1 has a completely overhauled cabin compared with its hybrid sibling, the HR-V. There’s a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, plus a massive 15.1-inch portrait touchscreen in the middle of the dashboard for infotainment.

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That massive touchscreen’s interface will be divided into three unique areas: a top section for navigation and smartphone software, a centre section dedicated to audio and EV functions, with the remaining bottom section for heating and ventilation controls. The e:Ny1 will also be compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and users can control many of the car’s features through their smartphone via the Honda+ app, such as scheduling charging and activating the climate control.

While there’s yet to be a full confirmation on pricing, the Honda e:Ny1 is expected to cost from around £45,000 when it goes on sale later this year – slightly more expensive than some of its key competitors. At that price, though, we’d expect it to be well-equipped. The e:Ny1 announcement comes alongside that of the upcoming Honda ZR-V and new CR-V SUVs as the brand plans to win back customers.

For more on the Japanese brand’s electric offerings, check out our review of the Honda e…