At the wheel of the Honda: electric 'good vibes' for the city

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The Honda e is an example that love at first sight exists. The first prototype has already aroused a lot of sympathy and curiosity and now, three years after that first meeting with the public, THE WORLD has been able to try the final model, which will arrive this summer but can now be commissioned.

The Honda e 2020 will offer two versions, the most powerful - called Advance - will cost 37,800 euros will be the first to arrive, while the access one will land at the end of this 2020 at a price of 34,800 euros. Our first contact took place over the first one, through the streets of Valencia.

The electric motor of the Honda e Advance (with 154 hp compared to 136 of the basic e) provides a pleasant sensation of power when stepping on the accelerator, which is reaffirmed to see its chrono at 0-100 km / h: 8.3 seconds, seven tenths less than in the basic version.

The 35.5 kWh high capacity lithium-ion battery gives Honda a range of up to 222 km (WLTP) in versions with 16 "wheels (in both finishes). The Advance version with 17-inch wheels ( the only one that offers this possibility) loses a few kilometers of range, since it stays at 210. For recharging, Honda announces a fast charge of 80% in 30 minutes.

The Advance version, in addition to allowing you to choose between 16 "or 17" alloy wheels and have the most powerful engine, adds another novelty: an interior rearview camera system that can be activated to reproduce the rear image in the mirror central. In addition, it includes a more powerful sound system, front windshield with defrosting function and heated steering wheel and the intelligent driver assistance system Honda Parking Pilot.

The distinctive and clean exterior design reminds the front of the first generation of the Civic (1972) with its round headlights, which combines with a contemporary and minimalist interior, but with advanced technology. Externally, the side rearview mirrors are replaced by small projections that house the cameras and turn signals. In total there are seven cameras that retransmit the images - of acceptable quality - of both the mirrors and the parking, in front of / behind the vehicle.

The charging port is integrated in the center of the hood for easy access from both sides, and has visible LED lighting through the glass cover to welcome the driver and inform him of the state of charge of the battery.

Black panels with exclusive concave profiles on the front and back define design motifs. The round light groups improve the simple and clean overall design and define the "human face" of the Honda e.

The platform is totally new, specific for electric vehicles, and allows compact proportions that facilitate exceptional urban maneuverability with good dynamic driving qualities.

Access to the vehicle is comfortable in the front seats, but is complicated when leaving the rear seats. Inside, a spacious cabin allows four people of 1.80 m to be accommodated without narrowing. Master modern minimalist aesthetics and offer a comfortable feeling with sofa fabric upholstery and other tactile materials that can often be found in a living room. The feeling of spaciousness is reinforced by the flat floor of the cabin.

From the trunk I expected more capacity: it offers a maximum of 171 liters with the rear seats in an upright position. The rear seats, folded to the same level as the boot floor, allow to reach 861 liters.

The range of state-of-the-art digital aids is presented along with many of the car's comfort and infotainment controls to facilitate multitasking and simple menu navigation.

The five-screen digital dashboard extends across the entire width of the vehicle and combines a clean and simple design with user-centered technology. The screens that show the rear view images retransmitted from the camera monitor system are integrated at both ends of the dashboard, ergonomically positioned to ensure a natural feeling and vision for the driver. The vehicle also has a digital rear view camera that increases the driver's field of vision.

The central interior mirror, in addition to displaying the images captured by the rear cameras, can also be used as a conventional mirror by pressing a button that changes to this aspect. It is difficult to adapt to moving images, just as when looking at the side mirrors, since the view is directed towards the outside, not the interior which is where they are installed.

A test in Valencia

We have tested the Advance version with a 17-inch tire and on a 45-kilometer route, urban and with some sections of road and highway, at moderate speed - maximum 120 km / h - through Valencia and surroundings, with a temperature of about 18- 20 degrees and the air conditioning on, the car has consumed 20.9 kWh per 100 kilometers. In addition, we perform several parking lots with the Parking Pilot system, which performs only all maneuvers after searching for a hole.

On another route of about 100 kilometers, mostly on roads and highways, driving without complexes, consumption reached 22.1 kWh. The driver can choose between two driving modes: normal and sport. The first for a quiet and comfortable driving in the city, and Sport mode, which provides a more precise and forceful response.

A 'single pedal' control system serves to improve driving efficiency in urban environments. When activated, the system allows the driver to accelerate, reduce speed and stop the car fluidly only by means of the accelerator pedal (when released, the retention progressively stops the Honda e)

On the road, the driving dynamics of the small electric Honda is focused on offering a fun and emotional experience, with the powerful electric motor driven through the rear wheels to obtain the latest generation performance for a small car.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

• Electric cars
• Hybrid cars
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