Honda will launch a new electric city car next year, designed to appeal to driving enthusiasts with a simulated gearshift system – and it will be offered in the UK.
The Renault Twingo rival has been closely previewed at the Tokyo motor show by the new Super-N prototype, which is a development of the Super EV Concept that was demonstrated at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this summer.
The Super-N prototype is built on one of Honda’s N-Series kei car platforms and bears close relation to the Japanese market N-One E – although the Super-N features a wider stance, beefed-up bumpers and aero ducts and a small lip spoiler.
While Honda has yet to reveal any of the SuperN’s technical details, it should be one of the smallest electric city cars offered in the UK.
To comply with kei car rules, the related N-One E is just under 3400mm long – some 200mm shorter than the Fiat 500e. Honda hasn’t said whether the Super-N will use the 63bhp electric motor featured in the N-One E but has confirmed the new model will feature a Boost mode.
When activated, this will offer maximum power and artificial sound while simulating a multi-gear shift.
Honda claims it will thereby offer “enhanced driving engagement that is unique to a vehicle of this size”.
The production version of the Super-N will go on sale next year in Japan and a “select” number of global markets, including the UK – which initially will be the car’s only European presence.
Pricing details have yet to be confirmed. In the UK, the Super-N will effectively replace the short-lived Honda E as the entry point of the fi rm’s range, albeit most likely at a much lower price than the E’s £37k.
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