Honda e - TopCarNews

Honda e (2020 – present) | Expert Rating [hide]

Summary

The Honda e is a small five-door electric city car hatchback. After various concept versions were shown by Honda in 2017 and 2018, the production version was revealed in 2019 and arrived in the UK in Summer 2020.

Unlike most electric vehicles currently on sale, the Honda e was designed from the ground up as an electric car rather than being based on an existing petrol model. It is also a showcase for a new design direction for Honda, combining 1970s and 1980s retro styling elements with start-of-the-art technology.

Media reviews for the Honda e have been positive but cautionary. It has received universally high praise for its styling, technology and driving dynamics, which distinguish it from any other city car (either electric or petrol-powered). But reviewers have also universally pointed out that the Honda e is expensive, with a starting price of nearly £30,000, and has a limited battery range of not much more than 100 miles in real-world conditions.

As of January 2022, the Honda e has an Expert Rating of 67% based on 25 reviews.

Key specifications

Body style: Small five-door hatchMotor: electric, battery-poweredPrice: From £30,165 on-road*
*price includes £1,500 government plug-in car grant

Launched: Summer 2020Last updated: N/A
Replacement due: TBA

Image gallery

Media reviews

Reviews, road test and comparisons from across the UK automotive media. Click any of the boxes to view.

The Car Expert

Model reviewed: Advance“The Honda e is a groundbreaking little car, and one which will undoubtedly prove immensely popular. Yes, you could say that the range restricts it, but for those who want a car which is easy to nip here and there in – charging on the fly – then it more than fits the bill.”
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Auto Express

Model reviewed: Range overviewScore: 8 / 10“The retro-styled Honda e provides a cool, classy take on the small electric car.”
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Model reviewed: AdvanceScore: 8 / 10“Just a little more range would make the Honda e more appealing, but it’ll likely be fine for how most owners will use it. What you can’t deny is that Honda’s execution is superb; the e drives nicely, it’s comfortable, refined and even fun.”
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Auto Trader

Score: 9.5 / 10“The sweet combination of impressive future tech and captivating retro design makes Honda’s small, urban EV a very tempting package.”
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Autocar

Model reviewed: Range overviewScore: 7 / 10“For anyone already resolved that a short-range electric car would suit just fine, it could be first in the queue – but, we fear, that won’t be a great many.”
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Model reviewed: AdvanceScore: 8 / 10“Honda benchmarked this EV against bigger cars for refinement, and it most definitely shows. This is one car you can drive in urban areas without being constantly reminded of the ravaged state of Britain’s roads. Altogether, driving the Honda e is an uplifting experience, which shows a new way for small cars – or at least for small cars that weigh 1.5 tonnes…”
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Business Car

Model reviewed: AdvanceScore: 9 / 10“The Honda e is a ground-breaking EV, from its design and drive to its multiscreen infotainment system. The latter especially feels way ahead of all other cars sold in the UK (large and luxury ones included). Drive and see for yourself.”
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Car

Score: 8 / 10“The Honda e is one of the most eye-grabbing electric cars we’ve yet seen. It’s a joy to drive, and Honda has hit the bullseye first time out of the box with its first fully electric production car. It has certainly opened our eyes to how electric cars should drive.”
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Car Keys

Score: 8 / 10“The Honda e looks brilliant, has interior technology that can rival luxury cars and is a brilliantly unique model that is a fantastic showcase for how innovative Honda can be when its engineers and designers can let their hair down. But the range and price are two sticking points.”
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Carwow

Model reviewed: Range overview“The Honda e looks like a CCTV control centre inside and a surprised panda outside. You’ll be surprised, too, when you see how much it costs given its modest range.”
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Company Car Today

Model reviewed: Advanced“Range and, to a lesser extent, price are big barriers to what is an otherwise excellent little car. Practicality is compromised for the sake of style, but it does it that very well.”
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Daily Mail

“You can fall very quickly and deeply for the charms of Honda’s new all-electric supermini. The Honda e is eye-catchingly cute, has bags of personality, a lively pace, and a great sense of style without being overly formal, and is a comfortable and interesting companion with which to hang out and chill.”
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Daily Mirror

Model reviewed: AdvanceScore: 8 / 10“The Honda e is great looking but its limited range and high price is going to make it a rare sight on our roads. It’s a car that’s easy to love but Volkswagen’s e-Up – that costs £6,000 less yet has a longer range – is a much more logical buy.”
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Eurekar

“Honda believes that two-thirds of its global car sales will feature some form of electrification by 2030. The Honda e is an encouraging glimpse into that future, but it’s been made available to sample now.”
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Evo

Model reviewed: Range overviewScore: 8 / 10“Honda’s new electric car is fun to drive and bursting with personality, but low range may deter some.”
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Green Car Guide

Score: 8 / 10“We have no doubt that the Honda e will be popular. The stunning looks mean it will easily turn more heads than most exotic supercars. But it’s impossible to ignore its limited range and lack of practicality in a market that’s becoming increasingly competitive and will only become more so.”
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Heycar

Model reviewed: Range overviewScore: 7 / 10“The Honda e is the must-have car of the moment. It combines quirky looks with a superb, modern interior and technology to keep even the most flippant of car buyers entertained. But its limited range means it won’t suit everyone’s needs, and there are more practical options on the market.”
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Honest John

Model reviewed: Range overviewScore: 8 / 10“The Honda e is the Apple iPhone of cars. It’s small, expensive, and will need recharging regularly. But many buyers will be happy to overlook its shortfalls in order to drive one of the most desirable electric cars on sale.”
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Parkers

Model reviewed: Range overviewScore: 7.8 / 10“Cute electric city car is a convincing urban runaround.”
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The Intercooler

Model reviewed: AdvanceScore: 6 / 10“I can’t give it a higher rating because it’s so limited in what it can do, but I can say how much I appreciate Honda’s doing something different by creating an electric car that actually appeals to the heart. If it made more sense to the head, it could have been a winner.”
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The Sun

“The ‘baby’ Honda e is a cool, clever and cheap electric car.”
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The Sunday Times

Model reviewed: AdvanceScore: 7 / 10“The interior is so good you might ignore the range.”
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The Telegraph

Score: 6 / 10“There’s much to like in this little Honda e. It’s refined, charming and feels quite fun to drive. But the rear seats are small, the luggage space tiny and the low range will put off some, while the e’s low efficiency is not what we expect of this Japanese car maker. “
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Top Gear

Model reviewed: Range overviewScore: 8 / 10“Honda’s first electric car is impossibly cute, beautifully engineered and crammed with tech… but you’ll pay for it.”
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What Car?

Model reviewed: Range overviewScore: 6 / 10“The Honda e is a car you buy because you love the way it looks. And it’s an electric car that’s good fun to drive, well-equipped and relatively upmarket inside. Sadly, with a limited range, a confusing infotainment system, a high price and a tiny boot, it’s objectively harder to recommend than many rivals.”
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Which?

Model reviewed: Range overview“Design aficionados will love the Honda e, whose style both inside and out is utterly unlike any other car. The all-digital dashboard feels very special, as well as being easy to use – a comment that applies equally to the driving experience. Space in the cabin and boot isn’t great, though, and the limited range makes the ‘e’ only really suitable for commuting and urban use.”
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Safety rating

Independent crash test and safety ratings from Euro NCAP

Overall rating: 4 stars
Date tested: December 2020

76%

ADULT OCCUPANT

82%

CHILD OCCUPANT

62%

VULNERABLE ROAD USERS

65%

SAFETY ASSIST

Read full Euro NCAP review

Eco rating

No eco rating

The Honda e has not yet been lab tested by Green NCAP. This is a new initiative, launched in 2018 as a sister organisation to Euro NCAP. As yet, very few new cars have been tested for environmental impact by Green NCAP, and inevitably the testing programme was halted in early 2020 by the coronavirus pandemic.

The Green NCAP programme measures exhaust pollution (which is zero for an electric car) and energy efficiency. Electric cars are much more energy-efficient than combustion cars, so the Honda e is likely to score very highly in Green NCAP testing if and when it ever takes place. Check back again soon.

Awards

Trophies, prizes and awards that the Honda e has received

2021

UK Car of the Year Awards – Best City Car
Business Motoring Awards – Best Small Car
DieselCar and EcoCar Top 50 – Best Electric City Car
Southern Group of Motoring Writers Awards – Car of the Year

2020

Red Dot Design Awards – Best of the Best + Smart Product Award
DrivingElectric Awards – Best Tech

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