Honda has pulled the wraps off its all-new electric city car, the Honda Super-N, and confirmed it will be sold in the UK.
Getting its debut at the annual Japan Mobility Show, the Honda Super-N is a development of the Super-EV prototype that did the rounds at various events over the summer, including the Goodwood Festival of Speed.
The Super-N therefore represents a closer step to production for this model, which is described as a prototype but is otherwise very close to its final guise.
The Honda Super-N is essentially a more European market-friendly version of its popular Japan-only electric kei car, the Honda N-ONE.
While it shares a similar silhouette when viewed in profile, the Super-N gets beefier bodywork, a wider chassis and larger wheels to give it a sportier appearance.
Inside, Honda prioritises a stripped-back approach with a dashboard design dominated by a large screen and a handful of useful controls for heating.
The upright, spartan look has a functional purpose too, helping to open-up the interior to more space than its compact dimensions might have you believe.
Indeed, the Super-N is certainly small. Even the maximum dimensions of a kei car – such as this car – are only 3400mm in length, which is 200mm shorter than a Fiat 500.
However, while full details about the Super-N’s features are being kept under wraps, Honda has good form from models like the Civic and Jazz when it comes to practical and versatile touches that are extraordinarily space efficient.
Honda is yet to confirm what the Super-N is packing under the skin, but the N-ONE makes use of a 63bhp electric motor, which is in line with upper trim models in the Dacia Spring range.
Regardless of the battery, Honda has revealed that the Super-N will come with a few technical tricks to compensate for its small size.
One such feature is a ‘Boost’ mode, which can be deployed to offer instant maximum power – for overtaking or climbing ascents – while an artificial sound simulating a multi-gear shift transmission accompanies it.
What is a Kei Car?
Interestingly, though the Honda Super-N conforms to Japan’s strict ‘kei car’ specifications, the firm has confirmed it will go on sale in selected European markets next year, including the UK.
The term ‘kei car’ is short for “keijidōsha”, which translates as ‘light automobile’ in Japanese, and is used to describe a set of government guidelines that regulate a model’s length, engine displacement and horsepower.
The special category was introduced to encourage Japanese people into smaller cars within the densely populated nation.
As such, a model built within these guidelines offer Japanese people benefits in terms of tax and economy, which helps explain why many small Japanese-market models are so short but tall so as to maximise interior space.
Traditionally these models rarely make it overseas because their small engine sizes and dimensions are less desirable in other markets.
However, the advent of electric power and is flexibility for use in small, economical vehicles has prompted a re-think at Honda, leading to the development of the Super-N.
The Honda Super-N is effectively a replacement for the short-lived Honda e, a sub-compact electric hatchback that won fans for its futuristic styling and refinement but was considered too small for its price tag.
Fast-forward a few years and electric technology has evolved enough to encourage several manufacturers to harness its potential in compact, city-orientated vehicles.
Indeed, models like the Dacia Spring, Renault 5, Hyundai Inster and Jeep Avenger have made small electric vehicles desirable once again, encouraging Honda to try again with the funky Super-N.
- Honda
- New Cars