By Ian Strachan.
The rush of electric vehicles into the marketplace has given the brand consultants a bit of a challenge. How do they come up with new names for vehicles which reflect the low carbon, hi-tech, thrustingly advanced nature of these new cars?
The prize for originality must go to Honda. Their fully electric SUV has a name which not only incorporates upper and lower case letters and numbers, but also includes that decreasingly used punctuation mark which Microsoft won’t allow you to use in a file name – the colon.
Enter the Honda e:Ny1 – an advanced, stylish and nicely performing SUV which is a joy to drive, and which undercuts many of its competitors.
The e:Ny1 also takes much of the anxiety out of all-electric driving, with a range of up to 256 miles and a high-capacity 68.8 kWh battery which can charge from 10 to 80 per cent in 45 minutes. Sensibly, the charging point is under a flap in the front grille. No dragging a heavy charging cable across the car’s paintwork.
And it’s no slouch. It takes just 7.6 seconds to take you from 0 to 60mph, although if you put that to the test too many times there will be a significant range penalty.
The e:Ny1 has a distinctive good looks, with a smooth, front end and attractive 18-inch alloy wheels.
The inside of the e:Ny1 in the top-of-the-range Advance specification which I tested is attractive, roomy and airy with light-coloured synthetic leather upholstery. The luggage space is impressively large with 344 litre capacity which can be increased by folding the rear seats. There’s a hands-free powered tailgate.
Ride and handling are exceptional, with crisp and positive steering response and nicely damped suspension to give a smooth ride. The Honda’s grip on the road is never uncertain, even when cornering at speed.
Equipment levels on the Advance spec are good, with an uprated six-speaker premium sound system, a 15 inch touchscreen for sound and satnav, wireless charging, automatic dual-zone climate control, electric windows and mirrors all round, advanced adaptive cruise control, adaptive automatic headlights, front, and side parking sensors with rear camera and a heated steering wheel.
You also get steering wheel mounted controls, a range of active safety aids including lane keeping assist and cross traffic monitor, rain sensing window wipers and remote keyless entry with push button start.
This is an easy car to like – particularly with its good looks and practicality – and I was sorry to see it go. The Honda e:Ny1 Advance comes at a competitive £42,195 on the road.
