Why we ran it: To find out if the brand’s first electric SUV could impress in a crowded class
Month 1 - Month 2 - Month 3 - Final report - Specs
Our road test gave it a lukewarm verdict but did living with it bring new insights? - 18 May
When the Honda e:Ny1 arrived, I didn't really know what to call it.
Now that it has left, I'm still not sure - and nor, it seems, is Honda, following reports that the name could be simplified when it is updated in a few years. Thing is, while the name is nonsensical, I'd suggest there are more important things to work on when facelift time comes around.
You might have a sense of this if you read the report last week by my colleague Kris Culmer. Having been keen to try the eNyl to compare it with his previous Honda HR-V long-termer, it seemed to make him actively angry.
Judging by some videos and other reviews I've seen of Honda's electric SUV, that's not an entirely uncommon reaction.
And I get it: given Honda's reputation for technical innovation, you would think the e:Ny1 would be pushing electric technology forward. Instead, it feels like it has arrived a few years too late.
In terms of range (you will get substantially less than 200 miles on a cold day), efficiency (it takes a lot of work to get close to 3mpkWh) and charging speed (78kW), it lags behind key rivals. Even with a recent hefty price cut, which trims entry-level models to just under £40,000, it's pricier than most rivals too.
And yet I can't bring myself to get angry with the eNyl. It reminds me of that kid in PE at school who wasn't big, fast or strong, but at least turned up and tried their best, even if they didn't do very well. (Come to think of it, that kid was me...)
The e:Nyl tries as hard as it can to be a good electric SUV - and I've developed a sort of grudging respect for the things it does well.
It's perfectly pleasant to drive, for one thing. There's no real flicker of excitement or dynamism, but it is unexceptionally agreeable transport. It rides well enough on pockmarked roads and the light steering makes positioning it easy.
It's quite relaxing and will tackle most journeys without cause for complaint. That said, I'm not a fan of the weird motor note: I think it's supposed to sound futuristic, but it reminds me of a milk float. Which, for an EV, is never a good comparison.
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Oh dear. First a stupid name followed by a stupid price, lukewarm press reviews and now, surprise a £5k price realignment. Where Honda once was at the forefront of innovation and quality, it now seems commited to me-too EVs without any design direction and a hit and miss approach to its products. And I am an enthusiast of the brand, or at least used to be!
Does the company not have a Product Planning department?
"Just look at the E, which melts hearts everywhere it goes."
And just take a look at the Honda E owners forums - it apparently kills its 12V battery and fancy door handles too. And required an update to stop itself getting fried by some Tesla superchargers. Let's hope the e:Ny1 has undergone some better real-world testing.
You just cannot take a car seriously when it has such a stupid name, to think some sort of group took weeks and got paid thousands to come up with E:NY1