We love Honda here at Planetauto! We’ve had not one but three Civics, with the latest being the EJ9 that some of you may have seen on our channel at points.
There’s just something about them – for me, the proper old school three door Civic was the best looking car in its class, and added to the fact that it had Honda engineering, well, what’s not to love?
Now, of course the Civic is not the only model they make, and as Ben and I have quite a good relationship with the UK Honda Press Fleet, we do quite well when it comes to booking in models, and not too long ago, we had one of their EV’s on review – the e:Ny1.
As is our wont, we did take it on a road trip – and to the most apt Everything Electric Event – but first and foremost, I’m going to dive a little deeper into this new EV, and then we will get behind the wheel.
So if you’re not familiar with this SUV from Honda, it’s their second EV released in the UK, and one of the first models that has their white badge on it. It’s fitted with a 68.8kWh battery that powers a 150kW motor, and it’s built on their e:N Architecture F. As not many people took to their first EV (the Honda e) it’s not surprising that they chose to release an electric SUV for their second EV)
So what is there to say about the e:Ny1? Well for starters, how do you pronounce it? Do you say it one letter at a time? Or do you call it the e-anyone? Whatever way you say it, this new EV is up against some stiff competition.
For starters, the exterior design is quite striking – bold, even. Even the handles have been recessed to give it a flowing, aerodynamic look and feel. Add to that its sleek headlights and the full width rear light bar, and you’ve got a modern, sophisticated silhouette. Even the charging port is hidden – but don’t worry, you will find it easily enough, and it’s at the front of the car, making charging easier!
Once inside you will see how much space you have, thanks to the batteries being on the floor. Also, the 15.1” touchscreen looks the part, and it pops thanks to it being portrait. It’s got three tiers, so it’s easy to head straight to the section you need: The top gives you access to your camera display and navigation, the middle is all things audio, comms and settings, and the bottom tier is the climate control.
Underneath this are the charging ports, and if you go for the Advance trim, you get a wireless charging pad too!
Before I forget, there is one thing that is paramount when it comes to any Honda vehicle – safety. Both trims are fitted with Honda Sensing as standard, so there’s no need to compromise. Both come with Collision Mitigation, Lane Keep Assist, Traffic Jam Assist, Traffic Sign Recognition, and a monitor to alert the driver if it detects fatigue, and a 360° camera and sensors around the vehicle.
So how much is the e:Ny1? There are two trims in the range – the Elegance and the Advance – both fitted with and electric powertrain that has 68.8kWh battery, powering a 150kW motor that delivers 310 Nm of torque. Both trims come with a range of around 256 miles, although this will vary depending on the temperature. It can be rapid charged from 10% - 80% in around 45 minutes, and Type 2 will achieve the same in around 6 hours.
As it’s a Honda, they have used their particular brand of sorcery to ensure that this all electric SUV handles just as well as its combustion counterparts (meaning it’s chuckable, as Ben would say) and comes with three driving modes: Eco, Normal and Sport. One thing I was delighted to find was that Honda made a real effort to ensure the e:Ny1 has smooth acceleration and deceleration, and this really helps to minimise motion sickness. I’ve noticed that this is a real issue in a lot of new EV’s, so it's awesome that Honda have been looking into ways to mitigate it (and if you are lucky enough not to suffer with this, all I can say is, you really are lucky!)
As with most car manufacturers, you get what you pay for – the Elegance starts from £40, 645.00 and the Advance starts from £42,845.00 and comes with added extras like a panoramic sunroof, parking sensors on the front and back, and a heated steering wheel.
Honda have been market leaders for a long time with good reason, so it’s been interesting to experience what their take on this EV revolution has been. Ben and I thoroughly enjoyed our time in their new electric SUV, and we hope to see an increased range in future iterations.
Thank you all, and enjoy!
Annabelle 😊