New Honda e:Ny1 2023 review
The oddly named Honda e:Ny1 SUV doubles the Japanese brand’s all-electric range in Britain
3.0 out of 5
Indeed, sitting up front in either car, things feel premium in most places; you’ll find some scratchier plastics on the very top of the dash and lower down on the doors, but everything you touch on a regular basis is covered in soft materials. The screen is responsive and looks fantastic, though the widgets are static; split into three sections, the navigation module is rooted to the top of the frame, and the climate controls are always visible along the bottom.
Yet this is largely where the positives end. Immediately after moving away, you notice the intrusive whine from the electric motor – manoeuvring at low speeds in an EV should be a peaceful affair, but the e:Ny1’s setup somehow manages to drown out the pedestrian warning sound, which itself is hardly subtle.
Then you pick up on the jittery low-speed ride. It improves as your speed builds, but on particularly broken urban surfaces, the Honda struggles to settle – this was only emphasised by our photographer’s camera kit rattling about in the boot. That’s a shame, because we found the car to be admirably efficient; the trip computer was showing 4.1 miles per kWh during our drive, which puts the car within two miles of its official 256-mile range – even over a varied test route.
We’d like a little more force from the regenerative braking system, however – especially as it’s so intuitively controlled via the paddles behind the steering wheel. There’s barely any tangible difference in the various levels; those who prefer the one-pedal style of driving will need to look elsewhere.
Practicality is a bit of a mixed bag, too. The boot measures just 344 litres, which is not only down on larger rivals like the aforementioned ID.4, it’s smaller than the load space you’ll find in a Jeep Avenger, which overall measures less than 4.1m nose-to-tail. Space in the back of the Honda is sufficient for adults, though we’re less than convinced by the flagship Advance car’s pop out sunshades for the glass roof.
Inevitably, we must come back to the financials. While you can make allowances for a mediocre driving experience, average electric range and so-so practicality if the price is right, when you’re paying close to £50,000, these compromises are tougher to take – even if the tech offering is strong, and the cabin feels well built.
Honda says it’ll do you a three-year PCP for just under £500 per month (£5,000 deposit, 10k miles per year), which is competitive against a like-for-like Model Y – but that’s a bigger, more family-friendly car. At the time of writing, Skoda is offering zero per cent deals on the Enyaq, too – significantly undercutting the e:Ny1 even if you opt for the bigger of the two batteries.
| Model: | Honda e:Ny1 Advance |
| Price: | £47,195 |
| Powertrain: | 62kWh battery, 1x e-motor |
| Power/torque: | 201bhp/310Nm |
| Transmission: | Single-speed auto, front-wheel drive |
| 0-62mph: | 7.7 seconds |
| Top speed: | 99mph |
| Range: | 256 miles |
| Charging: | 78kW, 10-80% in 45 mins |
| On sale: | Now |
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