Honda’s new Kei car-inspired EV promises to put the joy into city driving

Honda has revealed the Super-N, an electric city car which will rival the likes of the Renault Twingo and BYD Dolphin Surf. However, it’s fair to say previous electric Hondas haven’t quite hit the mark; first there was the charming Honda E which was packed with tech but limited on range, then there was the e:Ny1 crossover which struggled to stand out from the crowd, so will it be third time lucky? Honda has changed its approach for the Super-N EV by taking Japanese ‘Kei’ car foundations, adding retro looks and promising to embody the ‘joy of driving’ with a Boost mode featuring simulated gear changes and fake engine noise all for less than £20,000.
• The Super-N will be the baby of Honda’s line-up – it’s over half a metre shorter than the Jazz – and it will be the only electric Honda available • Tiny proportions, retro looks and a simulated seven-speed ‘gearbox’ will be key features • Honda promises a range of 199 miles in the city or up to 128 miles when driving further afield • Due to arrive in July 2026 • Starting from under £20,000

The Super-N takes inspirations from the City Turbo II, Honda’s teeny-weeny lightweight hot hatch from the 1980s. With the upright stance, rounded headlights and flared wheel arches, the similarities in the design are clear to see. Those large round headlights give the Super-N a characterful appearance and they are also reminiscent of the Honda E. Additionally there will be a choice of paint colours and customisations including a contrasting gloss back roof, a rear spoiler and optional graphics. Honda says it has designed a one-of-a-kind vehicle based on Japanese philosophies to make the car pleasing, intuitive and thrilling even before you drive it.

The boxy stance is a familiar ‘Kei’ car feature which helps to maximise interior space and Honda says the Super-N has been designed with comfort in mind. The interior looks very much how you would expect a Honda to be with a traditional layout and an array of physical buttons. There will also be blue ambient lighting which changes to purple if you put the car in Boost mode.

We haven’t got the finer details yet, but we do know the Super-N will have a city range of up to 199 miles reducing to around 120 miles when driven on faster roads. The Super-N is obviously not a performance sports car so it will only have around 60 horsepower, which can increase to 95 horsepower for a short burst of extra power in Boost mode. It will be relatively light, though, which should make it feel nippy around town.

Honda has yet to reveal the full pricing, but it has said the Super-N will start at under £20,000 when it arrives here in the summer.

The new Super-N will follow the recently reinvented hybrid Prelude into Honda’s car line-up. Meanwhile, Honda has been busy launching its first electric motorbike, the WN7.

The number of more affordable electric city cars continues to grow and the Super-N will compete against models like the Dacia Spring, Leapmotor T03, BYD Dolphin Surf, and the all-new Renault Twingo.