The second fully electric model from Honda (after the E city car) is a small SUV with a 256-mile official range On sale Now Price from £44,995
Dan Jones dan.jones@haymarket.com
AT FIRST GLANCE, you’d be forgiven for assuming the new e:Ny1 is just an electrified version of Honda’s existing hybrid small SUV, the HR-V. Dig deeper, though, and you quickly find that’s not the case. You see, despite the familiar styling, the e:Ny1 is actually the first Honda to be built on underpinnings designed specifically for electric cars.
With an electric motor sending a healthy 201bhp through the front wheels, the e:Ny1 can sprint from 0-62mph in 7.6sec. That’s about the same as the times for rivals such as the BYD Atto 3 and Kia Niro EV, but slower than the more powerful Smart #1.
The e:Ny1 doesn’t leap off the line, metering out its power in a reserved fashion until you reach around 10mph. Honda says this is to prevent your passengers from feeling any motion sickness. From then on, though, the e:Ny1 feels really nippy, accelerating with such urgency that joining motorways and overtaking slower cars are a doddle.
You’ll want to be in Normal or Sport driving mode to take full advantage of that oomph, but even in Eco (which reduces the power on offer and dulls the accelerator’s response), you’ll have more than enough punch to get around town.
That’s also the mode you’ll want to use to get the most out of the e:Ny1’s battery, which, with a usable capacity of 61.9kWh, is big enough for a 256-mile official range. That means the e:Ny1 is competitive with the Atto 3 (260 miles) but is unlikely to go as far between charges as the Niro EV (285 miles) or #1 (273 miles).
When it comes to charging speed, the e:Ny1 is rather underwhelming, with a maximum rate of just 78kW. That’s even slower than the Niro EV (80kW) and well behind the #1 (150kW). That means you’ll be waiting for about 45 minutes to complete a 10-80% top-up at a suitably powerful public charger, while a full charge via a typical lean well through corners. Some rivals are better to drive, though; the e:Ny1’s steering feels quite numb around the centre point and the front tyres run out of grip too easily. Still, the e:Ny1 is quite a relaxing cruiser, with wind and road noise being very well suppressed.
Behind the wheel, you know you’re in an SUV, because you sit nice and high, with plenty of electric seat adjustment to help you find your ideal driving position easily. There’s loads of space up front, while rear leg room is generous, even if you’re well over six feet tall. Head room back there isn’t as good, though;
