The exciting, new, all-electric Honda e hatchback has gone on sale in the UK from £26,660 (Rs 25.5 lakh approx) with a 100-kW motor.
The new Honda e is a compact hatchback with a simple, yet intriguing design that screams no-nonsense and immense practicality. We’d reported earlier that a prototype was being tested and expected to wait a little longer, but it’s out already. It’s a 3.9-metre long five-door hatchback with five seats and a fair bit of storage room too. The boot volume is 171 litres, but can be expanded to 571 litres with the rear seatback folded down.
Two variants are on offer for now: the basic, priced at £26,660 (Rs 25.5 lakh), and the Advanced, priced at £29,160 (or Rs 28 lakh approx), with a lot more kit on offer. Both variants come equipped with features such as the full width dual-screen display, leather steering wheel, a 230-volt outlet, side camera mirror system, smart entry and start, sky roof as well as My Honda+ and Honda Sensing. Standard safety equipment includes ABS with EBD, brake assist, forward collision warning, collision mitigation braking system and throttle control, adaptive cruise control, deflation warning system, and six airbags. The Advance adds a centre camera mirror system, heated steering wheel, heated front seats, Honda Parking Pilot. The Honda e runs on 16-inch wheels with 185/60 R16 front and 205/55 R16 rear tyres. There is an option of 17-inch wheels with 205/45 R17 front and 225/45 R17 rear.
The Honda e basic packs a 100-kW DC motor that’s capable of delivering 136 hp and 315 Nm. The battery pack has an energy density of 35.5 kWh and allows a WLTP range of 220 km on a single charge. The Honda e weighs in at 1,513 kg, making for an effective power-to-weight ratio of 90 hp/tonne, allowing a sprint from zero to 100 km/h in 9 seconds and a top speed of 145 km/h.
The Honda e Advanced gets a more potent 113-kW motor good for 154 hp and 315 Nm. Even with the 1,543-kg weight, it translates to a power-to-weight ratio of 100 hp/tonne and a drop in the 0-100 km/h time to 8.3 seconds. The WLTP rated range is between 211 and 220 km. The rated efficiency for both variants is 5.8 kWh/km. The onboard charger for the lithium-ion battery pack has a capacity of 6.6 kW (AC).
