It’s robust being a legacy Japanese carmaker nowadays, what with a plethora of latest fashions springing forth in each potential method from Chinese language gamers, swarming the market at speeds that generally defy perception. Whereas the struggle now appears to be increasing past pure electrification, a lot of the first battleground stays within the new vitality car section, and it’s right here that conventional gamers have had the toughest time.
That is actually the case in Malaysia, the place the sub-RM200k panorama is just about devoid of any EV that isn’t a Tesla, a MINI or one thing from China. Away from the uncommon Nissan Leaf facelift and even rarer Mazda MX-30, you’ll discover nothing Japanese in that value section. Toyota had the possibility to step into the sport with the bZ4X, however regardless of showing right here again in 2023, the EV by no means materialised as a retail providing, and it nonetheless hasn’t.
Enter the Honda e:N1. In a bid to extend that presence, Honda Malaysia is about to introduce its first all-electric providing into the native market. Does the electrified B-segment SUV have what it take to achieve traction for the model within the face of boundless Chinese language competitors? We pattern the EV over a 400 km drive in Thailand to search out out
Hey, isn’t that the HR-V?
The e:N1 is just about the e:Ny1 that was first introduced in 2023 for the European market, the latter a rebadged international model of the e:NS1 that was offered in China. Nomenclature apart, that is very a lot an all-electric model of the third-gen HR-V exterior-wise, though a couple of easy-to-spot cues assist establish it rapidly, from the entrance by its shuttered nostril and a restyled bumper and, from the rear, by way of a light-weight bar strip connecting the rear mild clusters and a scripted Honda mark on the tailgate.
The shape is conservative, given how electrical vehicles are anticipated to look within the house they’re enjoying in nowadays. Nonetheless, that’s not a foul factor, as a result of the HR-V is a pleasant trying automotive, and there certainly is a shopping for crowd to which this familiarity will really feel reassuring, even when the stuff beneath the pores and skin represents a step into a brand new frontier.
In contrast to the common HR-V, the automotive is underpinned by an e:N Structure F front-wheel drive platform, one of many three the automaker has, with the W rear-wheel drive and W all-wheel drive being the opposite two. Components within the platform’s technical spiel embody a devoted excessive rigidity physique construction and a low centre of gravity, aided by the floor-mounted positioning of the battery pack.
Exterior tools contains multi-spoke 18-inch two-tone alloys, auto on/off LED headlights with LED DRLs and entrance fog lamps, entrance LED sequential flip indicators, a smoked LED tail mild strip, rear LED mixture lights, a rear spoiler and a shark fin antenna.
As for exterior colors, there was just one at level of introduction final yr, and that was Premium Daylight White Pearl. Nonetheless, going the retail route in Thailand has launched a second shade referred to as Crystal Black Pearl, so we would see a couple of color coming our approach.
The place will it’s sourced from?
A fast apart earlier than we head on additional, and that is about the place the e:N1 might be sourced from. The SUV will in fact be imported, though the port of origin for the MY vehicles stays considerably of a thriller, no less than till it’s launched. Since it’s assembled in Thailand, having gone the CKD path within the Kingdom on the finish of 2023, you’d count on that the models we’ll be getting might be from there.
Nonetheless, the newest communication concerning the examples which are now on sale in Thailand is that they are going to be CBU fully-imported models from China, assembled by Dongfeng Honda Car. This might should do with the swap from leasing to retail. When the e:N1 was first marketed final yr in Thailand, it was introduced that it was not going to be offered available in the market, however would solely be accessible by a leasing programme from 12 automotive rental suppliers, with the leasing charge for it ranging from 29,000 baht (RM3,800) a month.
Then, in March this yr, it was introduced that gross sales of the automotive would start there. It might be that the choice to go retail could also be requiring a quantity that the devoted manufacturing unit line at Honda’s Prachinburi plant could not be capable of deal with, particularly with the automotive additionally set to go on sale right here following the advertising swap in Thailand. In any case, we’ll discover out quickly sufficient.
Underneath the hood
The e:N1 is powered by a front-mounted three-in-one electrical motor – which integrates the motor, energy drive unit and gearbox – producing 204 PS (201 hp or 150 kW) and 310 Nm of torque from 0-4,621 rpm, with drive despatched to the entrance wheels. Efficiency figures embody a 0-100 km/h acceleration time of seven.7 seconds and a prime pace of 160 km/h, as per the Thailand specification for it. That is unlikely to vary from what the MY automotive will provide.
The numbers aren’t blazing, however numbers don’t inform the entire story. Throughout the drive from Bangkok to Pattaya and again, the e:N1 felt energetic sufficient, with out ever feeling in need of pull even when pushed sedately. As a result of it’s an EV, and since some patrons will demand it, some electrical drive traits have remained penned in, such because the light-switch trait in energy switch to the wheels in Sport mode, one in every of three the automotive has. It’s undoubtedly not the easiest way to drive the e:N1, however there’s sufficient tempo, except you’re anticipating ranges of Chinese language warp drive push.
As my co-driver and I felt, leaving it on Eco mode served issues up finest, as a result of each response to pedal enter and development is akin to what you’ll get with an everyday propulsion unit, minus the engine noise, vibration and, most significantly, emissions. If the intent behind the throttle mapping and response is to supply patrons a behavioural familiarity of their transition from combustion to electrification, then it’s an ace transfer.
This strategy gained’t work for all, in fact, as a result of some will imagine that new issues ought to and should present new – and thus totally different – experiences. Past the final immediacy an EV offers, the e:N1 gained’t wow these anticipating to be pressed to the again of the seat with every huge pedal prod. For many who worth cohesion, nevertheless, the automotive is a pleasure to drive.
A complicated experience
And to steer. In what’s a case of neat integration, the experience and dealing with additionally displays traits the model is acquainted for, on this case good poise and management. The suspension tuning is sort of a standout – the experience suggestions in the direction of nuggety by way of secondary rebound, however there’s no harshness about it, and the first reveals how good an EV might be when arrange properly. There’s not one of the pitchy experience or “halves that generally don’t discuss to one another” really feel, and it was straightforward to overlook how heavy it’s, such was the seamless high quality of the general experience throughout the 400 km spherical journey.
The place its weight turns into evident is once you get it going into corners. At 1,662 kg, the e:N1 is sort of 270 kg heavier than the HR-V hybrid, and it’s right here you possibly can really feel the mass, particularly in sooner switchbacks. Nonetheless, there’s no ragged behaviour and physique management stays excessive. Collectively, every thing gels very properly, and the result’s an EV that integrates every thing right into a neat, cohesive bundle, with a zero studying curve in driving strategy.
Seat consolation from the black sports-design leather-clad models is first rate, sufficient that 200 km at a go doesn’t really feel a chore, however the entrance pews may in all probability do with a bit extra plush. We didn’t get the possibility to check out the again seats, however a small commentary nonetheless – followers of the model’s Extremely Seat might be dissatisfied to search out that it has been omitted on this one as a result of battery’s floor-mounted placement. As for boot house, there’s 344 litres available with the rear seats in place.
Of screens and different novelties
A lot of the cabin is acquainted from the HR-V, and whereas the dashboard follows the final scope of the latter, the stream of the centre console has been redesigned in an effort to home a big, vertically-oriented 15.1-inch Superior Contact Show Audio touchscreen panel, and there’s a change to button switchgear for the drive controls. Moreover, the usual instrument panel has been changed by a ten.25-inch TFT multi-information show, with the accompanying instrument cowl omitted on this one.
Whereas the big central display screen doesn’t stream visually with every thing else, trying very a lot a pressed adaptation, there are not any complaints in the way it performs. Removed from it, as a result of the consumer interface is introduced in a approach many within the subject can study from (sure, we’re you, Chinese language carmakers).
Regardless of the omission of bodily AC and audio management switchgear, the OS offsets this by grouping issues in a logical method, with entry to key features at all times accessible with out the necessity to swipe or name them up screens later.
Three operate zones sit throughout the show, the highest half housing the infotainment part (navigation, audio, with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto current), whereas the central space accommodates that for vehicle-related settings. These two layers replicate the acquainted single display screen GUI on current Honda choices.
The bottom and smallest part is the place you’ll discover the AC management capacitive show. Granted, there’s nothing sooner than bodily switchgear on the subject of rapidly positive tuning the AC, however the mounted placement of the controls means that you could – with some continued use – function it with out having to take your eyes off the street past a really fast orientation look.
Of juice, charging and security
Vitality for the e:N1’s motor is supplied by a 96-cell 68.8 kWh nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) battery, with as much as 412 km of WLTP-rated journey being touted by the automaker. The unit helps DC CCS2 charging at as much as 78 kW, the place it takes round 45 minutes to get it from a ten% to 80% state-of-charge. In the meantime, charging at 11 kW AC will take six hours to completely juice up the pack.
Once more, not numbers to shout house about, however the e:N1 is workable, particularly for these with entry to a house charger. In any case, the vary in precise use is serviceable, with the drive from 200 km-plus run from Bangkok to Pattaya returning a 5.3 km per kWh (or 18.86 kWh/100 km) studying on the automotive’s laptop, shut sufficient to the 380 km approximation for a single cost as introduced when beginning out with the battery on a 98% state-of-charge.
In Pattaya, the vehicles have been topped off by AC charging carried out on the lodge. The sampling run was made with one of many e:N1s by way of a 7.4 kW ABB Terra WC7 charger, with 5 and a half hours wanted to juice up the unit to full from a 48% SoC.
A few issues to notice on this entrance, with the primary being concerning the flap to entry the charging port, which is positioned on the entrance finish of the automotive. It’s mechanical, which simplifies issues, however whereas opening it’s a simple course of (press a button, and achieved), closing it’s a extra tedious course of, with the panel needing various pushes to get the mechanism to lock it again in place.
Moreover, whereas the port’s placement tucks it away for a cleaner presentation and link-up (nose-in) to a charger, it additionally makes it inclined to wreck from a frontal mishap past a delicate bump.
The opposite is issues the bottom clearance, which has been diminished on the e:N1 to 142 mm from the 183 mm on the HR-V as a result of addition of a battery safety case. Whereas the clearance is barely larger than that of the Civic, potential house owners must be conscious of this aspect when navigating by non-regulation pace humps, of which there are loads about.
Security-wise, the automaker’s Sensing suite brings alongside identified staples similar to street departure mitigation with lane departure warning, lane holding help, agile dealing with help in addition to adaptive cruise management with low pace observe. New to the suite is rear cross visitors alert, and the e:N1 will even be the primary car offered by Honda Malaysia to characteristic a blind spot monitoring system, a marked enchancment over the LaneWatch camera-based system.
How does it stack up?
Within the present scheme of issues, you get the sensation that ost of the gang entering into the electrification section are prone to bypass it looking for one thing that appears funkier and has extra bells and whistles, as a result of properly, EVs should be that approach. That’s a disgrace, as a result of whereas not the flashiest, it’s a solidly engineered product, one which drives properly, with a excessive diploma of decision in areas that matter.
Finally although, its pricing will decide the way it fares. Right here, the e:N1 has its work minimize out for it. In Thailand, it retails for 1.199 million baht (RM157,000), so we are able to count on it to take a seat someplace just below the RM150k area.
Coming in at a time the place retail costs are adjusted in response to the following competitor that reveals up, it gained’t be top-of-mind materials, particularly when you think about how the electrical SUV subject right here is presently scoped. Nonetheless, the e:N1 represents an necessary first step for the model in its journey into electrification, one that may solely actually take form when the 0 Collection arrives within the close to future.
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