Honda might be late to the compact electric crossover party but it’s determined to make sure people pay attention now that it has arrived – particularly people who might have been considering buying a Toyota bZ4X, Peugeot e-2008 or VW ID.4.
The European-market Honda e:NY1 starts from £44,995 in the UK, which is more than competitive against the £46,110 Toyota in entry-level Pure spec, and while it is possible to buy an ID.4 for as little as £38,845 and an e-2008 for under £37k, that gets you an EV with less power and a smaller battery than the Honda offers. Spec an ID.4 to roughly match the e:Ny1’s power and battery stats and you’re looking at a bill of £46,035.
And just to ram home the impression that Honda’s EV is the value king, it comes with five years of free servicing, five years’ warranty, and five years of European roadside assistance. It’s also fairly well equipped, even in its most basic form.
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The entry-level Elegance features heated front seats and electric operation for the driver’s, dual-zone climate, a wireless phone charging pad, keyless entry, power heated mirrors, privacy glass, a 15.1-in central touchscreen stuffed with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and a full suite of safety systems. Buyers wanting more luxury can step up to Advance trim for £47,195, which brings a more sophisticated version of the base car’s fake leather trim, a panoramic roof, hands-free tailgate, heated steering wheel, premium audio, and Honda’s automatic parking system.
What doesn’t change as you step up the range is the powertrain. Every e:Ny1 gets the same package of front-mounted 201 hp (204 PS) electric motor and 68.8 kWh battery pack that will take the EV to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 7.6 seconds and offers 256 miles (412 km) of WLTP range. Although the ID.4 in 201 hp guise is almost a second behind to 62 mph, its 77 kWh battery delivers a far superior 325 miles (523 km) of range and charges much faster, too. The Honda can only swallow a 68 kW charge rate, meaning a 10-80 percent fill takes a yawning 45 minutes, whereas the VW ID.4 can handle 135 kW and charge from 5-80 percent in just 29 minutes.
The UK order book opens in October and the first customers will get their EVs in January 2024, but the SUV isn’t in Honda’s plan for North America, which will get the larger Prologue instead.
