Honda e:Ny1 Review

Honda’s first serious mainstream electric SUV takes a very different approach from the old Honda e city car. Where that was quirky, compact and deliberately niche, the e:Ny1 is a more conventional-looking family SUV intended to appeal to a wider audience.

That means it does not have the same instant showroom charm as the Honda e, but it is the more sensible product. The e:Ny1 is based on Honda’s dedicated e:N platform, uses a 68.8kWh usable battery and drives its front wheels via a single electric motor producing 204PS. Officially, it can cover up to 256 miles on a charge.

The current UK line-up is simple, consisting of Elegance and Advance trims. Both get the same battery, the same motor and the same basic package, so the decision is largely about equipment rather than powertrain.

What makes the e:Ny1 interesting is not any single standout figure. Its range is decent rather than class-leading, and its charging speed is merely competitive. Instead, the appeal lies in the way it has been tuned and finished. It rides well, it feels reassuringly solid and the interior quality goes some way towards justifying the premium price.

That last point matters because the e:Ny1 is not cheap. It is priced above many small electric SUVs and within touching distance of larger alternatives, which means buyers need to be confident they really value the Honda’s softer, more polished character. For some, that will be enough. For others, a Kia Niro EV, Renault Megane E-Tech or even a Skoda Enyaq will make more sense.

There is only one battery and motor combination, so the real decision is trim. For most buyers, Elegance is the sweet spot. It already gets synthetic leather seats, the large 15.1-inch touchscreen, a 10.25-inch digital instrument display, heated front seats, wireless phone charging, dual-zone climate control and a reversing camera.

Advance adds a panoramic glass roof, heated leather steering wheel, upgraded audio, a hands-free power tailgate and Honda’s Parking Pilot system. Those are nice extras, but the e:Ny1’s value case is stronger in Elegance form.

If the difference in finance payments is modest, Advance is still a desirable upgrade. But if you are trying to justify the e:Ny1 rationally, Elegance is the version to target.

The latest official Honda UK price list places the e:Ny1 at £40,660 in Elegance trim and £42,890 in Advance trim.

That makes it expensive for a small electric SUV. At this level, you are no longer just cross-shopping obvious compact EVs such as the Jeep Avenger or Peugeot E-2008. You are also brushing up against larger and more practical alternatives such as the Skoda Enyaq, Volkswagen ID.4 and Hyundai Ioniq 5.

That is the e:Ny1’s biggest challenge. It is not a poor car, and it does feel expensive in the right ways, but the pricing leaves little room for error.

The Kia Niro EV and Renault Megane E-Tech are two of the clearest alternatives because both offer a strong blend of usability, decent range and everyday appeal at more accessible prices. The Hyundai Kona Electric is also a key rival, especially if you want a compact electric SUV with a polished feel and strong efficiency.

If value matters most, the Peugeot E-2008, Vauxhall Mokka Electric and MG ZS EV are all worth a look, while buyers willing to stretch slightly on price should also consider the Volvo EX30.

The e:Ny1’s price also means larger EVs come into view. The Skoda Enyaq and Volkswagen ID.4 are both more spacious, while the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6 bring more striking design and faster charging. That broader overlap is the main reason the Honda has a tougher sell than it perhaps deserves.

The e:Ny1 feels roomy enough for a compact SUV. Up front there is a good amount of headroom and legroom, and the visibility is particularly strong. That gives it an easy, unintimidating feel from behind the wheel.

The seats are comfortable and supportive, even if the battery under the floor does slightly limit the feeling of adjustment. You still sit in a natural position, and taller drivers should not struggle to get comfortable.

Rear-seat space is decent rather than exceptional. There is enough room for adults, but some larger alternatives offer noticeably more kneeroom and a greater sense of space. This is one area where the e:Ny1’s pricing becomes hard to ignore.

The boot measures 361 litres, which is acceptable for the class, and it expands to 1,176 litres with the rear seats folded. That is not tiny, but again it underlines the point that the e:Ny1 is more of a polished small SUV than a practical masterstroke. If carrying capacity matters, bigger rivals do better.

The Honda e:Ny1 measures 4,387mm long, 1,790mm wide & 1,584mm high. That makes it slightly larger than some direct compact-EV rivals, but still notably smaller than the next size up of electric SUVs.

Those dimensions help explain why it feels easy to place and easy to park while still offering a useful amount of cabin space. It is a sensible middle ground, even if the price sometimes makes it feel as though it should offer more.

The e:Ny1 uses a large 15.1-inch portrait touchscreen, which dominates the dashboard but is thankfully easier to use than it first appears. The interface is split into clear sections for navigation, climate and other key functions, and the graphics are crisp enough to make it feel suitably modern.

It works well with the 10.25-inch digital instrument display ahead of the driver, and Honda has sensibly retained some physical controls where they matter. There is even a proper volume knob, which is always welcome.

Wireless Apple CarPlay is standard, while Android Auto requires a cable. In-car WiFi is also included. Overall, the e:Ny1’s tech feels flashy enough to justify the price, but not so overcomplicated that it becomes a nuisance.

The e:Ny1 feels more premium inside than most mainstream rivals. Even the entry-level car gets synthetic leather upholstery and plenty of soft-touch materials, while the general fit and finish are strong.

Advance adds higher-end trim touches and the panoramic roof, which does a good job of lifting the cabin ambience. There is still some harder plastic lower down, but the broader impression is of a well-made, well-finished interior.

That does help justify the price, although not quite enough to make the e:Ny1 feel like a bargain.

The e:Ny1 uses a single front-mounted electric motor producing 204PS and 310Nm of torque. Officially, 0-62mph takes 7.6 seconds and top speed is 99mph.

Honda has deliberately softened the initial surge of torque, which means the e:Ny1 does not lurch forward in the way some EVs do. It still feels brisk enough in normal driving, but it is not trying to be a hot hatch in SUV form.

That range figure is good enough for most day-to-day use, and in the real world a comfortable 200 miles or more should be achievable without much trouble depending on conditions and driving style.

The e:Ny1 is impressively comfortable by EV standards. The suspension is on the softer side, which helps it deal with rougher roads more effectively than many electric rivals. It is not floaty or vague, though, and Honda has kept enough discipline in the chassis to stop it feeling clumsy.

The steering is pleasantly weighted, visibility is excellent and the overall driving experience is very relaxing. It is one of those cars that feels easy from the first few minutes, which will matter far more to most buyers than lap-time potential.

There is some tyre roar at speed, plus a faint electric-motor whine, but this is no worse than the class norm. The main impression is of a calm, easy-going EV engineered for comfort first.

The e:Ny1 comes with a strong spread of standard safety kit, including Collision Mitigation Braking, Blind Spot Information, Road Departure Mitigation, Lane Keep Assist, Traffic Sign Recognition, parking sensors and a reversing camera.

Advance adds Honda’s Parking Pilot with extra side sensors and a multi-view camera system. The e:Ny1 had not been crash tested by Euro NCAP at the time of the original launch, and there is still no Euro NCAP rating to quote for this model at the time of writing.

The e:Ny1’s battery can charge at up to 78kW on DC rapid charging, which is modest by modern standards. Honda quotes a 10 to 80 per cent charging time of around 45 minutes.

At home, a 7kW wallbox will take roughly six hours and 18 minutes to charge from 10 to 80 per cent, or around 11 hours for a full charge. That makes overnight home charging straightforward enough, but it also means the Honda is not one of the quicker cars to top up on the motorway.

So while the charging story is perfectly workable, it is not one of the e:Ny1’s strongest selling points.

Honda has backed the e:Ny1 with a five-year care package including servicing, roadside assistance and a five-year guarantee. That is a useful ownership sweetener and helps strengthen the case for a car that is priced on the high side.

Honda’s broader reliability reputation is also encouraging. The brand has a strong record and EVs generally carry fewer mechanical risks than equivalent petrol or diesel cars.

Insurance groups are 39 for Elegance and 40 for Advance. That is on the expensive side for a compact SUV and worth factoring into the running-cost equation.

The e:Ny1 does not look outrageous on paper against some rivals, but it is not a cheap EV to insure.

After year one, the Honda e:Ny1 now costs £200 a year in VED, which is the current standard annual rate for electric cars.

Because both trims sit below the £50,000 Expensive Car Supplement threshold for EVs, there is no additional annual charge to worry about.