Cheap, electric and a little slow: The Super-N brings Japan's legendary 'Kei' car to Europe, but can it handle the roads here? Honda/dpaIn Japan, there's a type of car which punches well above its weight in terms of sales. Called the 'kei car' class, it's a compact type of vehicle which has existed in the country for decades, allowing people to drive for less thanks to lower rates of insurance and fewer parking restrictions.To qualify for this, Kei cars need to comply with set size and engine requirements, making them tiny compared to 'full-size' vehicles. Kei cars haven't officially been on sale in the UK, up until now, that is, with the arrival of Honda's Super-N.This electric Kei car is initially launching in the UK in July. It is not yet known whether a version for other European markets will follow.AdvertisementAdvertisementWhat's new?Okay, so there's a slight caveat; in order for Honda to make the Super-N more appetising to European buyers, it's slightly larger and more spacious than your typical Kei car. That said, it's still a whole lot smaller than your typical supermini. In fact, it's around 200mm shorter than a Fiat 500.To up the ante, the Super-N has also been tuned on UK roads to make sure that it handles as buyers here expect and comes equipped with a broad range of standard features that would ordinarily count as optional extras with other brands. At £18,995 (equivalent to €22,200 or $25,400), it's arriving in the UK with a very low price tag, too.What's under the bonnet?AdvertisementAdvertisementIf you haven't guessed already, the Super-N is an electric vehicle designed, primarily, for use in cities and urban environments. It's a single-motor set-up, hooked up to a small battery for a claimed range of 128 miles (206 km), or 199 miles (320 km) if you're driving mainly around the city, according to Honda.Zero to 60mph is a leisurely 14 seconds and a top speed of 84mph means that the Super N just have just about enough in the 'tank' to do motorway driving. A small battery means that the Super-N can be charged quickly and at a speed of 50kW, you should be able to manage a 10 to 80% top-up in around 30 minutes.What's it like to drive?Honda has a few tricks up its sleeve designed to make the Super-N more exciting than your typical EV from behind the wheel. To begin with, it has equipped it with a complete 'engine sound' which combines the noise from a classic Integra's exhaust with a video game-style effect to create something which does sound genuinely different. Then, this is linked to a full 'simulated gearshift' which recreates the feel of changing gears via the wheel-mounted paddles. It works very well and helps to make you feel a little more in tune with the car.AdvertisementAdvertisementBut tech aside, how does the Super-N drive? Well, because it's so small, you've got more space within a lane to work with and the compact body rolls very little through the bends. The net result is a car which does feel quite accurate and exciting to drive. The best part is that it gives this experience at slower speeds, so there's no need to endanger your licence in order to have a good time.How does it look?The Super-N looks nothing like anything else on the road today. Honda has a habit of achieving this – remember the Honda e, after all – and with the Super-N you've got a car that'll turn heads, despite its compact size. Its launch purple colour is particularly outlandish, but there are more subtle shades to choose from if you're not feeling quite so controversial.You can also get the Super-N with additional sticker packs and bumper kits, so there's some decent scope for customisation if you'd like to take 'your' car even further.AdvertisementAdvertisementWhat's it like inside?Step inside the Super-N and things get a lot more spacious than you might expect. Because of this car's boxy design, there's quite a lot of headroom and, as a dedicated four-seater, you don't feel too squashed in the back. There's even quite a bit of rear-seat legroom, too. You've got it all wrapped in typical Honda build quality, which is to say that everything feels solid and far more chunky than you might think from a car of this size and shape.Boot space isn't bad, either, at 162 litres with the rear seats in place, or 618 litres with the seats down. Both of those figures are loaded to the windows; so you can get more in if you're willing to pack kit to the roof.What's the spec like?AdvertisementAdvertisementAs mentioned, the Super-N is priced from £18,995 and comes in just a single grade which is loaded with equipment. Elements such as heated seats, full air conditioning and both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto come as standard, so you shouldn't have to want for more. The good news is that there are plenty of physical buttons to access all of these features, too, and it's a showcase of how much more intuitive this kind of design is over a screen-centric one.The only real options are the additional paint colours and sticker packs. Honda is also offering the Super-N with some very low rates of finance which, for many people, will make this car even more attractive.VerdictThe Honda Super-N won't be for everyone. With its rather outlandish looks, limited range and compact interior, it's not going to suit all types of drivers. However, all-around appeal is missing the point of this car; it's all about a little character.AdvertisementAdvertisementYou can tell some actual thought and flair has gone into the Super-N, both in terms of design and dynamics, too. Against a background of rather mundane-looking EVs currently on sale, the Super-N stands out, which makes it well worth investigating yourself.This Kei car's launch colour is particularly outlandish, but there are more subtle shades to choose from. Honda/dpaBecause of this car's boxy design, there's quite a lot of headroom and, as a dedicated four-seater, you don't feel too squashed in the back. Honda/dpa
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