Wednesday 13th September 2017

Honda Urban EV Concept - Frankfurt 2017

Is it a Mk1 Civic? Is it an Autobianchi A112? Whatever, it previews Honda's 2019 production EV

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Honda has unveiled its Urban EV Concept at Frankfurt, built on a new platform that will set the brand's direction in terms of EV technology and design.

Maybe the 20s won't make production...

Takahiro Hachigo, President and CEO of Honda, said "This is not some vision of the distant future; a production version of this car will be here in Europe in 2019."

With its low and wide stance - it's 100mm shorter than a Jazz - the Urban EV Concept should be a cinch to drive in urban environments. A large wraparound windscreen aids visibility and the occupants enter via rear-hinged doors - think Rolls-Royce Phantom on a mini scale. Up front, messages can be displayed between the headlights including greetings, advice to drivers and charging status updates. Just wait until it's used in a road rage incident!

Isn't it cute?

Whilst Type R models wear a provocative red Honda badge, this EV concept wears one backlit in blue, a feature which is to make its way to future EVs.

Inside, the 'floating' dashboard is wrapped in a wood finish that also makes its way to the seat backs, squabs and arm rests. A large panoramic display presents a wealth of information along with Honda's Automated Network Assistant. Because this is a concept car, and no concept car worth its salt uses mirrors, here the door screen provides a view of the road behind. We can't wait to hear more details as the production car approaches - bring on 2019!

 

 

[TrickyTrevM5]

other than the i8, this is the best looking EV i've seen from a mainstream car company (Tesla only makes 50k cars per year). I would be tempted to buy one when they come out if they look like this - so that i can ditch my diesel mini for townie driving....and keep my M5 and Rangey

[Blayney]

Please put a normal interior and a revvy petrol engine in it. I'll buy one. Such a cool looking car.

[Filibuster]

WOW!!!

That really, really looks stunning!!!!

[VeeFource]

Nice and retro but unashamedly mk1 Golf

[jet_noise]

I really, really, really do not want to have to clean those wheels!

[viggyp]

Headlights remind me of a Mk1 Golf, Bonnet looks like an Innocenti and the rear quarter a Strada Abarth. I like it.

[Robmarriott]

VeeFource said:

Nice and retro but unashamedly mk1 Golf

That's the first thing I saw when it popped up in Twitter yesterday.

It's obviously the mk1 Civic that they've tried to emulate but it's not as obvious.

Looks cracking either way, hope it makes production and is a decent seller for them!

[unsprung]

Fun neo-retro design. Those text screens, front and rear, are going to be a source of amusement when the car ends up in user hands.

Are city cars allowed their own (somewhat less strict) crash standards? There's a lot less to work with, here, in terms of crumple zones, intrusion, rollover, etc.

[mersontheperson]

It has a look of those RocketBunny Boss kits for Nissan Silvia's

[ZX10R NIN]

Great looking car I bet the production version won't look anything like it, which is a shame.

[Richard-390a0]

Thumbs up from me too. An E.V that's actually decent to look at

[LordGrover]

When it hits the street, expect those pillars to be six inched wide/thick.

[suffolk009]

Glad it's not another futurist ameobic blob.

I'd have one.

[Fetchez la vache]

LordGrover said:

When it hits the street, expect those pillars to be six inched wide/thick.

Quite!.
However as an initial design, this really does float my boat.

[FWDRacer]

VeeFource said:

Nice and retro but unashamedly mk1 Golf

Yep - absolutely this 100%.
There a few people in Wolfsburg sat currently very p!ssed off.

[Raman Kandola]

FWDRacer said:

VeeFource said:

Nice and retro but unashamedly mk1 Golf

Yep - absolutely this 100%.
There a few people in Wolfsburg sat currently very p!ssed off.

Someone's getting sued

[BuzzBravado]

Robmarriott said:

It's obviously the mk1 Civic that they've tried to emulate but it's not as obvious.

Eh?

[Motormatt]

Wow, that looks really cool. Well done Honda for realising that it is actually possible to style a small EV to make it desirable for what it is, not just what it does.
I'll be waiting for the production version with great interest.

[Robmarriott]

BuzzBravado said:

Robmarriott said:

It's obviously the mk1 Civic that they've tried to emulate but it's not as obvious.

Eh?

Yeah, good point

[hornetrider]

Take the point on MK1 Golf but I think it's rocking a bit of 1275GT.



I think it looks excellent.

Edited by hornetrider on Wednesday 13th September 11:23