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Test Drive: Honda e:Ny1 – Attractive Coupe-SUV with Relaxation Factor

Until now, the only pure electric vehicle from the Japanese automaker was the rather unsuccessful Honda e. The design of the electric small car was convincing, but the range and price were not. With the e:Ny1, the Japanese are presenting their second pure electric vehicle – this time in the promising SUV segment. We had the opportunity to extensively test the new electric SUV around Oslo.

On the road around Oslo, even though the tracks on the asphalt might suggest otherwise, people in Norway tend to travel rather leisurely. | Photo: T. Kanzler
On the road around Oslo, even though the tracks on the asphalt might suggest otherwise, people in Norway tend to travel rather leisurely. | Photo: T. Kanzler
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The e:Ny1 is set to succeed in the competitive B-segment and compete against Opel Mokka, Hyundai Kona, and others. The Japanese have the ambitious goal of bringing 30 electrified models to market by 2030. Honda recently announced its future focus on SUVs, with the new one with the somewhat cryptic name making the start.

Honda's new one shines in sky blue

All our test cars shine in Honda's new Aqua Topas Metallic color – the color suits the SUV coupe exceptionally well. In the new e:Ny1, the designers have visibly drawn inspiration from Honda's successful HR-V model. Although the e:Ny1 is based on the new electric platform, it almost looks like the facelift of its hybrid sibling. The four-door SUV with elegant coupe lines measures just one centimeter more in length than the HR-V at 4.39 meters. The two SUVs only differ significantly in weight. While the HR-V weighs about 1,450 kilos, the pure electric vehicle weighs 1,663 kilograms.

“Following the recent expansion of our e:HEV hybrid vehicle lineup, the e:Ny1 marks the next step in our electrified vehicles,” says Tom Gardner, Senior Vice President of Honda Motor Europe Ltd. “The new model has been developed to meet the demand for compact fully electric SUVs in Europe. Our customer-centric philosophy and the dynamic Honda character come together in a compact SUV that harmonizes practicality, ease of use, and comfort with the responsive and engaging driving experience of a battery-electric vehicle.”

Enough space and very comfortable seats

Despite the battery in the underbody and the rather sporty roofline, the interior is generous. We noticed a kind of hump in front of the front seats that limits the footwell as a drawback. Thanks to the wheelbase of 2.61 meters, rear passengers find enough space. The seats are comfortable both in the front and back, and the materials appear high quality. A large, centrally placed 15.1-inch display and the 10.25'' digital instrument provide infotainment and navigation.

Before we experience the idyllic surroundings of Oslo with Honda's new E-SUV, Honda engineer Kotaro Yamamoto introduces us to the test drives. The holistic comfort of the e:Ny1 gives the electric vehicle a unique character. Naturally, we set out with high expectations.

Honda aims to offer a "holistic driving experience"

The e:Ny1 drives smoothly, the chassis proves to be quite comfortable and finely balanced on longer waves. The good noise and vibration damping of Honda's E-SUV ensures pleasant driving – but we didn't quite sense a unique vehicle character. The motor delivers travel-suitable 150 kW (204 hp) to the front axle, and 310 Nm maximum torque accelerates the e:NY1 from 0 to 100 km/h in 7.6 seconds, with a top speed limited to the now usual 160 km/h. It is unusual that Honda somewhat curbs the strong acceleration of the E-machine – as Yamamoto explains, this is to minimize discomfort. Another comfort feature of the Honda engineers caught our attention: the air from the heating and air conditioning is directed through a sort of diffuser. This prevents passengers from feeling the airstream directly.

The water-cooled lithium-ion battery of the e:Ny1 nominally provides 68.8 kWh, of which 62.8 kWh are usable according to the manufacturer. According to WLTP, the electric SUV consumes 18.2 kW/100 km and is supposed to cover 412 kilometers. We managed to achieve significantly lower consumption values in Norway – no wonder, as the country roads are limited to 80 km/h – often even to 60 km/h, and the highway allows us a maximum of 110 km/h! Consequently, we were very economical on country roads with 13.3 kWh, and with highway stages, we reached around 18 kWh. It seemed odd to us that the infotainment predicted a range penalty for air conditioning of 42 kilometers at the start of the journey – with an outside temperature of 17 degrees and a set temperature of 20 degrees. After about 100 kilometers of driving, the range deduction suddenly appeared to be only 3-4 kilometers.

Fast Charging - Rather Slow

At a fast-charging station, the energy storage should be filled from 10 to 80 percent within 45 minutes. To improve the charging experience, the e:Ny1 features a status display that allows the charging process to be monitored remotely. The black luminous strip between the charging port and the hood transforms into a "digital heartbeat" when charging: a pulsating LED runs from left to right.

Once the charging process is complete, the strip lights up continuously to indicate that the battery is fully charged. In the event of a charging error, the strip blinks red. When the charging process is complete and the cable is removed, the vehicle also says goodbye with a "wink."

What does this mean?

Honda's first fully electric compact SUV on the new e:N Architecture F platform (F for front-wheel drive) could bring the success to the Japanese manufacturer that was denied to the Number 1 - Honda E. Not quite as promising, however, is the rather meager charging performance of a maximum of 78 kW - and the fairly high price: starting from 47,590 euros, the e:Ny1 can be ordered immediately.

Translated automatically from German.
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