You're spoiled for choice if you're in the market for a small, fun electric car – there's now the Honda Super-N to consider, too.
The Honda Super-N was confirmed for the UK late last year, and now we can reveal that sales here will start in July.
Full prices and specifications will be released closer to the car's launch, but Honda has confirmed that prices will start at under £20,000. There's no word on how much this fantastic, bold purple paint colour will cost; apparently there will be
And doesn’t the Honda Super-N look fantastic? It’s unapologetically sporty, with a widened stance, broad arches, clear tail-lights and a cute little tailgate spoiler. There’s even an F1-inspired low-mounted brake light.
The Super-N sits on Honda's 'kei' car platform – a small class of Japanese cars that prioritise space and clever thinking in compact proportions.
Honda says that the Super-N offers 199 miles of 'city' range, which is a little bit cheeky because stop-start driving is more efficient for electric cars than more varied driving.
Unfortunately, the proper range figure is just 128 miles, which is no improvement on the Honda e – and that was a sales flop partly due to its short 124-mile range.
For context, the new Renault Twingo achieves 163 miles, the Fiat 500e tops out at 199 miles and the Hyundai Inster charges ahead with a 228-mile range – although the Hyundai is considerably more expensive.
The Super-N's electric motor will offer between 63hp and 94hp, although it's not yet clear whether this will be achieved by one motor option or two. Honda has revealed that there's a Boost mode that unlocks peak power – but a near-50% increase in power just by changing the driving modes seems unlikely.
The Boost mode also introduces fake gearshifts and exhaust notes. It’s like a Hyundai Ioniq 5 N that’s been on a hot wash. The result, Honda says, is a “sense of excitement and enhanced driving engagement that is unique to a vehicle of this size”. Drive with a sense of excitement and that 128-mile range could go down even more quickly.
The base N-One E comes with vehicle-to-load functionality, letting you power other electricals from the on-board battery. We’d expect this feature to be included on the UK-bound Super-N.
Inside, the Super-N has a horizontal dashboard design and sporty blue accents across the dash and on the seats. The cabin is clean and uncluttered, with a bank of buttons for the climate control and some for driving controls on the steering wheel. The infotainment screen is modestly sized, but will feature the must-have phone connectivity features.
The base model features recycled materials on its bumpers and in its seat upholstery; hopefully the Super-N follows suit.
From Honda's new photos, we can see that the Super-N will benefit from the brand's clever Magic Seats, with flip-up seat bases to enable you to carry awkwardly sized items.
The UK is one of the only countries that the Super-N will be launched in – a wider European launch isn’t planned at this time.
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