All we could think of when we heard about the latest Honda was Einstein’s E=MC²! Could the designers not have come up with a better alphabetical name or even something with a decent integer? It sounds like a preproduction project code, and maybe that was exactly it if the industry gossip is to be believed. An unremarkable name, however, does not necessarily make it an unremarkable car.
We both liked the little Honda e, which was a really quirky attempt at Honda’s first entry into the electric market. Who could forget the moving goldfish screen?
A couple of years on, with no little swimmers evident, we see the arrival of Honda’s second electric car. To give it its correct name, the e is a mid-sized SUV that has a good-sized battery and a comparable range with its competitive rivals, such as the Tesla Model Y, Hyundai Kona, Skoda Enyaq 80, and Kia Niro EV. We have not driven the Tesla, as they do not provide us with test cars, so we cannot compare.
Honda styling has a mixed assembly: there is the fabulous Civic, but perhaps the less attractive CR-V and HR-V. However, to be fair, it depends on what you are looking for as far as SUVs are concerned. We really like the !!!***!!! (or whatever it is called); it looks good from the outside, and once inside, there is substantial space for all passengers, with decent boot space too. We loved the 15-inch portrait touchscreen, which housed all the necessary controls, which were very user-friendly. It was very comfortable, with heated front seats and a heated steering wheel. Yes, folks, this is Scotland, and we needed both even in July! Add in adaptive LED headlights, a power tailgate, and we loved the sunroof, which did allow brightness on that odd occasion when the sun made an appearance.
There is plenty of equipment available; even the entry-level Elegance trim comes with 18-inch alloy wheels, heated front seats, privacy glass, a 10.25-inch digital driver display, adaptive LED headlights, an auto-dimming rear-view mirror, keyless start, dual-zone air-con, and adaptive cruise control.
We both enjoyed the drive of the car, perhaps more than we thought we would; in fact, we both wished we could have had it just a little bit longer to really take it through its paces.
When it comes to the all-important charging, though, the e’s maximum charging rate is 78kW, so it can be charged from 10-80% in about 45 minutes, which is fine if you have a home charger, but it means you cannot take advantage of higher chargers on offer. However, it is on par with the Niro EV.
The range is officially 256 miles, which is really good. With heater/aircon/radio/wipers running on our day trip, we managed a decent 222 miles.
Prices start from £42,195.
Ally says: “Enjoyed our time in the e. Loved the drive, and who could even question Honda’s dependable reliability record?”
Lorraine says: “I really liked this car too. It is a bit pricey compared to some others in its class, but I have it on very good authority that there are excellent deals to be had.”
