The much-awaited Honda E, an all-new electric hatchback has been launched in the UK market and the reviews are out. Since the car is not expected to be launched in the Indian market anytime soon, there are many enthusiasts who would want to know about the futuristic electric hatchback. Here are all the details about the Honda E and what the international media thinks about the car.
What is Honda E?
It is an all-electric hatchback that is available in two options. The lower power version produces a maximum of 136 PS while the higher-powered version churns out a maximum of 154 PS. Both of these versions get 315 Nm torque. Since it is an electric car, it can do 0-100 km/h in just about 8 seconds, which is very quick for a small hatchback. Both the variants can run for 220 km on a full charge and store the power in a 35.5 kWh battery pack. It is a liquid-cooled battery pack that is quite advanced. The car gets a four-wheel independent suspension system and gets a 50:50 weight distribution. The four-seater car gets a fast-charging system that can take it to 80 percent from nil in just 30 mins through a 100 kWh charger. A 50 kWh charger will take about 36 minutes to charge it to 80%.
What does the international media think about it?
AutoCar UK says:
Places where you stop and start frequently are where Honda reckons the E will find buyers: it⬢s not for you if you want to go far, it admits. Most of the 200 UK deposits it has taken are from Greater London, where the ambitious asking price and limited range are presumably less of an issue.
Think of it as a smartphone rather than a tablet, says Honda, seemingly acknowledging that this is a car bought more with the heart than head. That⬢s understandable, but it is a niche groove ⬜ easy to like but harder to recommend. If it had been made easier to recommend, though, maybe it would be harder to like.
WhatCar? says:
The Honda E is good to drive but it is quite expensive to own. There are good bits in the car like the design and the styling but that is entirely subjective. It looks distinctive. It has a number of screens on the inside but the system is slow. It is also not a practical car.
Top Gear UK says:
Far be it for Top Gear not to recommend the most powerful model available, but here we⬢d be inclined to go for the entry-level car. Not only are the performance gains negligible, but so much of the kit ⬜ the interior screens, the wing mirrors, the seat trim ⬜ is standard that we⬢d save the £2.5k, do without the rear-view display, parking assist (honestly, how crap is your parking if you can⬢t safely navigate a car this size into a gap) and sound system upgrade.
Whichever version you pick, the Honda e has two rather glaring drawbacks ⬜ the limited range and chunky price tag.
While the Honda E is not slated for an Indian launch anytime soon, the company will launch an EV next year. Current options in the market include the Tata Nexon EV, MG ZS EV and the Hyundai Kona. We are sure the number of options will double up this year itself.
