This is the Honda SUV e:concept, a preview of an electric crossover that could feasibly go on sale in the UK within a couple of years and with these radical looks basically unchanged. Honda proved with the production version of the E hatchback that it’s not afraid to push the envelope when it comes to these things.
All we’re getting for now is these exterior images, but if it does go on sale we can expect an interior not dissimilar to the multi-screen setup in the E (below), which includes digital wing mirrors and was dismissed by many as infeasible during its concept phase.
Honda is known to want to produce an electric crossover, a move that would make obvious financial sense given the popularity of the crossover genre, and it’s a feeling that was no doubt bolstered within the company by the rapturous reception afforded to the E after its launch. It’s too early to say whether that’s translated to big sales though, especially given the limitations of the Honda E’s battery, a disappointing 100-miles or so in reality.
As you can see, this concept is a three-door model and has particularly dinky proportions, meaning it’s a compact crossover and will likely be perched on the same chassis as the Honda E. That doesn’t bode especially well for battery range, but does mean that the cabin will share the E’s basic architecture and, it follows, wow factor.
Honda has offered no technical detail alongside the images here, but we can guess that the drivetrain will be as per the E hatchback, meaning a 152bhp electric motor mounted at the rear and driving the rear wheels. The extra bulk means Honda will be able to slide a larger battery pack than the E’s 35.5kWh unit under the passenger compartment, but whether the company actually does that remains to be seen.
The styling is a radical departure from the E hatchback, however. Much more rakish and with distinctive thin headlamps and a single LED strip adjoining the two above the grille, it’s far less cutesy than the E and has an aesthetic you might feasibly call “sporty”.
Unveiled at the Beijing Motor Show, which is happening at the moment and finishes October 5th, it will be released in China late in 2021 and become Honda’s first electric model in the country. We’ll let you know as soon as Honda confirms a European version, which we’re almost certain it will.
Keyword: Honda SUV e:concept previews radical production crossover