Don’t call him HR-V
Fancy some nice confusing new car names? Then you’re in the right place, because this is the Honda e:Ny1. That is the compact electric SUV that is called e:NS1 or e:NP1 in China and is actually an electric Honda HR-V, although Honda does not want to know anything about it.
More than a year ago we already wrote that Honda would come up with three new models in 2023. The day ‘you knew was coming’ is finally here, as today those three models are launched simultaneously for the European market. The moment you read this, you will also find information about the other two models elsewhere on AutoWeek.nl, the medium-sized Honda ZR-V and the new Honda CR-V.
We actually thought that with the Toyota bZ4X we had the most random combination of numbers and misplaced capitals, but Honda takes it a step further. This brand also throws a punctuation mark into battle and comes with the e:Ny1. That ‘e:N’ is a reference to the e:N Architecture F platform on which this car stands, the ‘1’ refers to the first model of this series and that ‘y’ is up to you, although something will be whispered about ‘your next car’. If it’s vague.
Much more important than the name is of course what the e:Ny1 really is, but even that is kept somewhat vague by Honda. The undersigned would bet his Honda Accord that this is an electric Honda HR-V, but at Honda they claim that this is really a new model on its own platform, which at most shows some coincidental similarities with that other compact SUV. A bit like a Mazda 2 Hybrid which has coincidental similarities with the Toyota Yaris Hybrid, anyway.
Honda HR-V
Honda e:Ny1
Fashion bingo
Anyway: an electric compact SUV from Honda, so. On the outside, the e:Ny1 is recognizable by a unique, closed nose and a continuous taillight. It exists because the Honda logo on the back has been replaced by a written-out version of the brand name, with which Honda ticks off two items on the fashion bingo list in one fell swoop.
The dashboard also looks nice and fashionable. Although the base, just like the exterior, clearly resembles the dashboard of the Honda HR-V, Honda mounts two large screens that make the whole look more modern. The vertical 15.1-inch screen also swallows up the buttons of the climate control, although this does not seem to cause any major problems due to the permanent placement of the climate functions at the bottom of the screen. The screen is divided from top to bottom into three sections, nice and clear. The screen that replaces the instruments is also logically arranged and offers all the information you need in such an EV.
More luggage space
The front of the Honda e:Ny1 lacks a grille or anything reminiscent of it, but still looks quite harmonious. In the middle is a large flap that provides access to the charging port. This means that the three-phase pole can be charged with 11 kW and the fast charger with 78 kW. Not exactly groundbreaking, but there are more cars in this segment that achieve such values. A battery pack of 68.8 kWh hangs under the car, of which 62 kWh is actually used. We say emphatically ‘under the car’, because from the side the rather thick package is clearly visible. That does mean that the interior space is not compromised compared to the HR-V. In fact, with 346 liters, the e:Ny1 has more luggage space than its hybrid brother.
According to the WLTP cycle, such a full 62 kWh battery results in the Honda e:Ny1 for a range of 412 kilometers. That is less than the 460 kilometers that a Kia Niro EV achieves, but much more usable than 220 units of the Honda-e. Now that the Niro is called: the engine power of 150 kW / 204 hp corresponds exactly to that car and the Honda also has front-wheel drive.
At the time of writing, we don’t know more than this about the second electric Honda to arrive in Europe. Honda will release a more extensive package of information at a later stage. We do know one thing though: just like the ZR-V and the new CR-V, the e:Ny1 will be on the market this year. So get used to that name quickly…
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– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl