Honda e:Ny1 review

By far the most ‘Honda’ part about the e:Ny1 is its interior that’s everything you’d expect from the Japanese manufacturer.

With its clean lines and great ergonomics, you'll feel right at home in the cabin, and the technology is generally excellent throughout. 

Tech and features

If touchscreen bragging rights are your thing, then the monstrous 15.1-inch portrait display sitting proudly in the centre of the dashboard is something to behold. In many ways, it’s actually too large and we wouldn’t have complained if it was a third of the length, but it’s an impressive crisp panel to look at, nonetheless. 

It's broken up into three sections with the top being your maps, radio or Apple CarPlay and Android Auto screen. This is the bit you’ll be looking at the most often. Then below is the standard car menu to access the car’s settings.  

At the bottom is the car’s volume and ‘home button’ alongside temperature controls, which annoyingly, are built into the touchscreen instead of being physical knobs and dials, but Honda isn’t the only brand that does this. 

Partnered with the smartphone connectivity is a wireless charging pad that’s a bit hit and miss, as most tend to be. If your phone slides ever so slightly on a roundabout or as you accelerate away from the lights, it can leave the contact point and no longer charge your phone. It’s a minor thing but annoying on a longer journey.

You’re far better off using the USB A and USB C ports to the left of it to ensure a constant connection. 

Thankfully the whole infotainment system itself is very smooth and leaps and bounds ahead of that found in the new Honda CR-V. And like its larger SUV relative, the e:Ny1 gets a great 360-degree camera system that makes parking or navigating tight streets a breeze.  

With the push of a button on the end of the indicator stalk, you can activate the cameras quickly to see around you. The only downside is it takes over your sat-nav which can only be brought back when selecting it on the screen again, requiring you to take your eyes off the road. 

One element Honda always excels at is the steering wheel which is important with it being the main touchpoint you have with the car.

The buttons on it that control your music and menus certainly lack behind the quality feel of other Honda models with these feeling a bit cheap, but they still work with no issues. But compare them to a VW or Audi alternative and there’s no comparison. 

The overall tech-side of things is great and very smooth to use, but one major gripe we have with the interior is the driving position which should be the one thing that’s given the most attention.  

Driving position

When adjusting to our desired driving position we found the seat doesn’t go down far enough, so if you’re a taller individual your view is obstructed by the top of the narrow windscreen.

We’d imagine this is due to the batteries sitting under the floor, but that’s not all. It’s also got thick A-pillars which make some junctions tricky to navigate. 

It may not be the ultimate car interior like some other Hondas in its current lineup, but if you’re all about a large central screen and a relatively spacious cabin then there’s no denying it does the job, just not as well as some rivals... cough, cough MG. 

Electric motors and power

Driving the e:Ny1 is pretty similar to most other electric cars - plenty of pep and very quiet, bar some road noise. Here's what you should know before you buy. 

Powering this small electric SUV is a 68.8kWh battery with a claimed range of 256 miles and 150hp. Already this is lacking behind its MG and Tesla rivals that are cheaper to buy, sitting comfortably around the 300-mile mark with larger batteries and more power. 

Sadly, the e:Ny1 doesn’t make up for its less-than-ideal range with ultra-fast charging either, offering a measly 78kWs. For reference, the Hyundai Kona Electric can charge using a 100kW charger, and the Kia EV6 a 350kW one.  

Honda says it’s done this to increase the longevity of the car’s battery and that it’s more sustainable, but when you’re drip-feeding your e:Ny1 at a service station and see the Tesla next door charge in a matter of minutes, you may think otherwise.  

There are three main ways to improve the range and eke out as much as possible. The first is by switching drive modes from Normal or Sport to Econ mode which relaxes the throttle response which is a nice difference to constantly spinning up the wheels in Sport mode, which in turn eats into economy. 

The other way is to be sparing with the heating. Because the car doesn’t come with a heat pump (which seems crazy in a brand-new 2023 car of this price), it means turning off the heating when not in use can save you a chunk of range.  

In our testing, we gained an extra 29 miles of range just by turning the heating off altogether. Just something to bear in mind on longer journeys. As work-around would be to direct the heating to one area such as using the very effective heated steering wheel of bum warmers. 

Lastly, you can use regenerative braking to try and get a bit of extra range in the battery but in the e:Ny1 it’s all a bit backwards. Even when using the steering wheel-mounted paddles the system shuts off after a while or when you come to a stop.

The only way to stop this happening is by keeping it in Sport mode which is about as contradictory as closing your eyes in the dark to ‘see better’.  

Handling and ride comfort

It’s by no means a high-end performance car or fast hatchback like the MG4 XPower and its steering reflects this.

At slow speeds around town, it’s very light which makes it easy to manoeuvre around city streets, which is great. And when you reach higher speeds on A roads or on the motorway, it tightens to give you steadier control.

This aspect of driving makes it easier for most people to live with it day-to-day – though there’s quite a lot of road noise above 40mph. Thankfully, a superb sound system can negate some of that drone for you.  

Being a small electric SUV (and a handsome one at that), you’d expect the e:Ny1 to have a fair amount of practicality, and it does. 

Boot space 

The boot itself is a tad on the smaller side at 361 litres, which is less than a VW Golf hatchback, but it’s quite tall and allows room for a weekly food shop or a couple of large suitcases. 

Rear seats 

The real surprise comes with the rear seats. They are incredibly roomy and comfortable - you sink ever so slightly into them, adding some extra headroom, even with the split-panoramic sunroof.  

Speaking of the sunroof, it’s a funny one. The front is normal and lets in plenty of light. But the one above the rear seats has covers with manual clips. Firstly, why? Secondly, where are you meant to put them once they're off? It’s an odd choice from a brand that is usually so functional.  

Once you work out where to put the roof blinds, you’ll find that leg space is great, even for taller rear-seat passengers. Being a ground-up EV, there’s no transmission tunnel hump eating up rear legroom, which makes five people an easier proposition. 

Storage solutions 

The front door bins are big enough and the glovebox is well-sized. You also get wide and deep cupholders. Unfortunately, the centre console is quite small, and the top doesn’t slide forward.

There’s still plenty of room for your keys, wallets and phones though.  

Safety 

Euro NCAP hasn’t tested the e:Ny1 yet. For reference, the similar HR-V and Honda’s other electric car, the ‘e’, both got four stars. 

All the tech equipped from factory should help you stay safe on the roads, too. There’s adaptive cruise control and forward collision warning as standard, and the 360-degree camera works a treat for avoiding scratches in car parks. 

It’s probably best to drive the e:Ny1 before you know the price - it’s by no means a bargain.

Not many modern cars are cheap brand new, but as tested this Advance model costs an eye-watering £47,195 and the ‘cheaper’ Elegance model starting at £44,995. 

This is an awful lot of money for an EV with less range and slower charging speeds than some cheaper competitors. When you can buy a new MG4 or nearly new Tesla Model 3 for less than £30,000 it really makes you think, doesn’t it? 

Of course, there are finance deals that make that cost easier to stomach, but it’s still £10,000 more than you should need to spend on this class of vehicle. 

Other costs to take into consideration are charging which will vary depending on where you charge it. If you use a home wall box charger, you can expect to pay a matter of pounds for a slow overnight charge. 

Use a public fast charger (up to78kWs) and you’ll pay around £30 for a full charge.