Honda ‘e’ review: electric city car has plenty to reel you in

The ‘e’ has touches of magic, including a virtual fish tank, but the price is steep

Compact:Honda’s new ‘e’ electric vehicle

Eddie Cunningham Twitter

November 21 2020 02:30 AM

I felt that first little flicker of Christmas magic recently when I discovered a digital aquarium in this week’s review car. No, you’re not seeing things: there was a digital aquarium, with brilliantly colourful and bright fish, on a big screen on the dash of the new electric Honda e. You can add different species and even feed them.

It’s the sort of gadget/toy that ‘children’ love (count me and my youngest daughter in) and something to amuse you while chatting (it doesn’t animate when you’re mobile, for obvious safety reasons), or sitting waiting to top-up charge the battery.

Unfortunately, the Scrooge factor in me constantly threatened to ruin the mood with some stark realities.

The Honda 'e' has a digital aquarium, with brilliantly colourful and bright fish, on a big screen on the dash

The fish feature is the most vivid example of how much different Honda are trying to be with this little electric car. Other distinguishing elements include the large battery-charging slot right in the centre of the bonnet, the dash front being covered by five screens, the absence of wing mirrors (two cameras on the five-screen dash convey rear-side activity) and a general ‘future feel’ to how it looks and feels inside (fabric-and-timber effect on seats and dash) and out (the flush door handles pop out as you approach).

If you live in an area of heavy traffic, or tight parking, this could be the car for you. It has the tightest turning circle of anything I’ve driven: 3.1 turns from lock to lock and a full radius of 4.3m. It was a dream to have. It fitted in the tiniest of slots.

Powered by a 35.5KWh battery, the e was nippy around town too. My more expensive ‘Advance’ trim, higher-powered model (154PS), had loads of zip (the entry level version offers 136PS). You can boost the battery to 80pc in just 30 minutes of rapid charging, while a home charge of 4.1 hours will be most people’s option.

There is so much tech built seamlessly into this tiny frame that I understand why Honda sees it as a forerunner of so much they are planning to do with their cars.

If you’re not looking at the fish, there are myriad things you can do with the apps and smartphones. You can switch stuff between two infotainment screens, too, and there are several input-points below the centre console to charge phones and connect to devices — as well as two USB ports at front and back.

There are two infotainment screens in the new Honda 'e'

All that and much more in a small, city car. Small is the operative word. At 3,895mm long, it is 100mm shorter, 38mm lower and 57mm wider than Honda’s Jazz, for example. The result is reasonable room at the front, but the rear bench was restrictive. Grand for toddlers.

For me, it was a case of enjoying it for what it was: an appealing addition to diversity within the ranks of electric vehicles. But I couldn’t help noticing just how quickly the battery range dropped. I kept copious notes on the correlation between energy expended and distance covered and I’m sad to report that the brand’s claimed 222km range, already modest, is optimistic. I used regenerative braking and I took my time, but one example will suffice to highlight my reservations. The remaining-range reading went from 187km to 41km over a 79km drive, reinforcing its role as a car aimed at urban drivers. Short trips suited it really well: Honda point to research showing 40km is the average European daily commute.

My Scrooge alter ego bah-humbugged hard to dampen the feel-good spirit that accompanied every drive in this likeable motor.

It pointed to the limited rear-seat space, dismissed the tiniest of boots (171 litres) with a sneer that a couple of decent-sized shopping bags would fill it. One could argue, however, that there is 861-litre capacity if you fold the rear seats.

Then there was price. Whatever about the other criticisms, that was the Scrooge’s sorest point. At nearly €33,000 for my version, and €30,000 for the standard, it is a lot more expensive than the likes of Peugeot’s e-208 (€26,809, claimed 350km range) or the Mini Electric (similar range; from €27,240).

Other distinguishing elements include the large battery-charging slot right in the centre of the bonnet

Yes, you get a lot of spec-n-tech for your money. And it is quite, quite different. It’s just a lot to pay for such a small-range EV. I loved it for its individual charm and I can see Honda’s argument that it is aimed at a specific type of urban owner who wants a zero-emissions runaround.

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I won’t dismiss it because I do believe it is cutting-edge stuff and will have relevance for some buyers but others will fish elsewhere on price.

Facts and figures

From €29,995; Advance model €32,995. Spec includes side-camera mirror system, climate control, adaptive cruise control; parking sensors, heated front seats, DAB radio, 2 USBs front/rear, glass roof, auto headlights, SENSING safety system (excellent and expanded).

‘Advance’ trim adds premium audio, Parking Pilot, which helps find a suitable slot and manoeuvres the car into it.