Honda e:Ny1 2023 Review | First Drive

Honda has taken a more methodical approach to the electrification of its model range. Up to now, the only all-electric car Honda built was the diminutive Honda e, a small and somewhat limited city car. Now it’s been joined by the rather clunkily named e:Ny1, a compact SUV set to mix it with a growing number of battery electric crossovers from the Peugeot e2008 to the Hyundai Kona to the even more alarmingly named Bz4x from Toyota. In some ways, this is an interesting evolution for Honda, as it seeks to redefine its image at the start of a new era, but from many angles, this feels every bit like a first attempt.

With a price tag that starts from £44,995, it’s leaping straight into competition against the likes of the Volvo C40 or even the Audi Q4. We spent some time with the new Honda e:Ny1 to see how it stacked up.

To look at, the e:Ny1 fits the compact SUV mould. It sits high up on its 18-inch wheels with a bulky front end and rounded silhouette. Turn the lights off and you could be looking at any one of the so-called ‘B-segment’ models. It’s clearly a popular look, though, otherwise these cars wouldn’t be topping the sales charts month after month.

Turn the lights on and the e:Ny1 is a difficult car to get to grips with aesthetically. There are lines and angles where they ought not to be, the creases around the headlights look a bit like the wrinkles around my eyes after a long day in the office. The new 2D Honda badge (to be used on all EV models going forward) is placed on a smooth piece of bodywork that, left alone, would probably provide a neat and tidy finish to the nose of the car. The designers have seen fit to fix another layer over the top, though, with a chrome accent that adds interest rather than style. It’s more like abstract art than a creation of beauty.

It’s much tidier around the back, where you’ll find yourself having to look closely to decide whether you’re looking at an HR-V or an e:Ny1. In terms of shape and style, the two are nearly identical, with the only real difference being the switch from the famous logo to a new ‘Honda’ wordmark.

It would be unfair to expect too much of the e:Ny1. Not only is it Honda’s first attempt to build a car like this, but the bar has been set pretty low by the market as a whole. A compact SUV EV is never going to be the most exciting car to drive, and this car follows that trend inexplicably. It’s fine, don’t get me wrong, the e:Ny1 is not a terrible car to drive. It’s just, fine.

In terms of performance, the e:Ny1 has everything you need. The electric motor delivers 204PS (150kW) and 310Nm (229 lb-ft) of torque. Acceleration has been limited, according to Honda, to make it feel more like a normal family car, rather than the rocket ships that are becoming a little bit too commonplace in a market that simply doesn’t require 0-62mph times under five seconds. A 7.7-second sprint here is hardly going to set the world alight, but it’s enough to stop the e:Ny1 from feeling boring or slow.

The driving experience is split into three drive modes: Eco, Normal and Sport. Don’t be fooled by the latter, there’s nothing remotely sporty about the e:Ny1. It does feel composed. Cornering is surprisingly direct thanks to a slightly stiffer ride than you might expect in an SUV such as this, the steering is also surprisingly sharp. Sport mode feels a little unrefined in its power delivery, you get a huge spike of torque which seems almost guaranteed to lose traction as you pull away from a junction, to the extent that you'd rather switch to the Normal or Eco options whenever you approach a standstill.

I mentioned the ride, it speaks to all of the problems currently posed to engineers by these big, heavy electric crossovers. The feeling from the driver’s seat is relatively smooth, it’s certainly not uncomfortable, but there is a disconcerting disconnect between what you feel and what you hear. On rougher roads, it often sounds like you ought to be getting rattled out of your seat, and yet you don't feel it. With no engine noise to drown out the suspension, which itself is having to work under the strain of a far heavier vehicle, the cabin noise is far more obvious than we're used to in petrol or diesel cars.

In terms of range, 256 miles is quoted, and that just about adds up from the driving I did, which was a mix of relaxed dual-carriageway cruising and decidedly more upbeat country blasts.

It’s very easy to spot where the time and money has been spent when it comes to the design and the build of the interior. There’s a huge 15-inch touchscreen slapped on the dashboard in a portrait orientation, and this is by far and away the highlight of the cabin.

Which is just as well, because that screen is the dominant feature, around which the rest of the interior looks to have been somewhat neglected. It’s made up of an odd mix of materials, some rather nasty looking dials for the air vents feel pretty cheap, as do the switches for drive and reverse gears. The seats are nice upholstered in a synthetic leather, but they’re quite firm, and anything more than 20 minutes in the car can begin to feel like long enough. The doors are covered in scratchy plastics.

Dominated by the screen. Honda seems to have put all its focus into that, and forgotten about the rest. An odd mix of materials, the silver dials for the vents look and feel fairly horrible. The buttons for drive and reverse scream cheap. The seats are upholstered in synthetic leather and are comfortable for 20 minutes or so before their firmness starts to agitate joints.

There is at least good head and leg room for all passengers, and the space in the back is impressive for a car of this size. The caveat is a pretty small boot area that offers only 344 litres. There isn’t a huge amount of cabin storage either, the door bins are shallow, and the central cubby has space for a wallet and an apple if you fancy a snack.

It is the touchscreen that redeems the interior of the e:Ny1, but beyond that it stands out as one of the very best infotainment systems around. Screens like this are so often the bane of modern cars, and one of this size would normally set off several alarm bells for usability and ultimately safety. Honda, however, has done a better job than most in honing its UI to make it as usable and convenient as possible. The screen itself is split into three sections. The top third takes care of navigation, the middle is for your audio and entertainment, and the lower strip is for controlling your climate settings and heated seats. It takes away a lot of the need to drag your way through endless menus, and for the most part, limits the user journey to one or two touches.

The system itself supports wireless Apple CarPlay, while Android Auto is limited to a wired connection only. There’s wireless smartphone charging, two USB ports in the front and a further pair of USB C ports in the back. The sound system is less than inspiring, and no amount of messing with the audio options did much to improve its output.

The e:Ny1’s battery can max out with a 78kW DC charger, which is a little below what we might expect from the current crop of modern EVs, but it can maintain a higher rate of charge throughout. The result is a 10-80 per cent charge taking around 45 minutes, which is neither fast nor disastrous.

The e:Ny1 is some way behind its competition in a number of ways, but that is more a reflection of where Honda is as a whole. While many other manufacturers are well into their second generation of EVs, this brand is barely beginning its journey into battery power. That said, driving this car is pleasant enough, the electric range is also not bad compared to many other similarly priced alternatives. Aside from the touchscreen, the interior is a little disappointing, especially when you can wander across the showroom to have a seat in the CR-V which is an entirely different proposition in terms of quality.

Perhaps the biggest question mark over this car though is how strong of a foundation it is for Honda to develop from. There are signs here that the manufacturer is trying to implement some new ideas around performance and charging, and these might well pay dividends if the next Honda EV takes some pretty substantial steps up in the quality stakes.