The automotive landscape is constantly evolving, with a significant shift towards electric vehicles (EVs) and an increasing demand for sustainable, yet engaging, driving experiences. Within this dynamic environment, a distinct niche exists for compact cars that blend urban practicality with a genuinely fun spirit. One such vehicle, the **Honda Super N**, has recently captured attention, sparking a lively debate about its merits and its place in the UK market, as highlighted in the video above. This intriguing electric car, with its quirky Japanese Kei car origins and surprising performance, challenges conventional thinking about what an EV can be, even while navigating the complexities of European regulations.
Historically, small cars have often been synonymous with compromise, but the Super N aims to redefine expectations. It presents itself as a vehicle packed with personality and engineering flair, a true driver’s car in miniature form. Yet, like many innovative products, it comes with its own set of trade-offs, particularly regarding its suitability for a broader audience. Understanding the **Honda Super N** requires a look beneath its compact, eye-catching exterior to its core mechanics, its thoughtful design, and the regulatory framework that shapes its existence.
Unleashing the Honda Super N’s Spirited Performance
For those who believe electric cars lack soul, the **Honda Super N** offers a compelling counter-argument, primarily through its surprising performance characteristics. It’s a car designed by engineers who clearly love driving, resulting in a setup that delivers genuine enjoyment on the road. The initial impression of 64 horsepower from its single electric motor driving the front wheels might suggest a modest experience, reflected in a 0-60 mph time of 11.37 seconds in standard mode. However, this is merely the baseline for what this compact EV can achieve.
Boost Mode: A Game Changer for Acceleration
A hidden gem within the Super N’s toolkit is its “boost button,” a feature that transforms its character instantly. Engaging this button unleashes an impressive 95 horsepower, significantly altering the driving experience. This power surge slashes the 0-60 mph time down to a brisk 8.8 seconds, a figure that rivals many older hot hatches and certainly feels “nippy” in real-world driving. The immediate torque delivery characteristic of EVs, combined with this boost, makes for exhilarating getaways and confident overtakes, proving that small electric cars can indeed be thrilling.
Agile Handling and Remarkable Braking
Beyond straight-line speed, the **Honda Super N** distinguishes itself with exceptional handling and stopping power. Its lightweight construction, tipping the scales at under 1.1 tons, contributes significantly to its agility, allowing it to dart through corners with precision. Furthermore, the car comes equipped with high-quality Yokohama tires as standard, a testament to Honda’s commitment to driving dynamics. This combination of low weight and premium rubber results in an impressive braking performance, stopping from 60 mph in just 33 meters, which is commendable for any vehicle, let alone a compact EV. The steering is light and responsive, making it a joy to navigate both winding country roads and congested urban streets.
The Joy of Fake Gears and Engine Noise
One of the most unique and surprisingly enjoyable aspects of the **Honda Super N** is its innovative approach to mimicking traditional internal combustion engine sensations. Unlike most EVs where steering wheel paddles control regenerative braking, the Super N’s paddles simulate gear changes. Pulling a paddle briefly interrupts torque, creating a jolt that feels akin to shifting gears. This, coupled with a fake rev counter and artificial engine noise piped into the cabin, adds an extra dimension of engagement. While some purists might scoff at artificiality, for many, it bridges the experiential gap between traditional sports cars and modern electric vehicles, enhancing the fun factor exponentially.
Design & Practicality: A Kei Car’s European Evolution
The **Honda Super N**’s design language is a fascinating blend of its Japanese Kei car roots and adaptations for European tastes and regulations. Originating from Japan’s unique Kei car category—super small vehicles with tiny engines and specific dimensions—the Super N maintains a dinky stature by European standards, measuring approximately 1.5 meters wide and 3.6 meters long. This compact footprint is not merely for aesthetics; it’s a fundamental aspect of its agile character and urban suitability.
Exterior Aesthetics: Compact Charm with a Rally Car Vibe
Visually, the Super N is a head-turner. Its proportions are beautifully balanced, giving it a squat, purposeful, and sporty stance. Design elements like the distinctive headlights, the large, functional front vents designed to cool the battery, and the flared wheel arches reminiscent of Group B rally cars contribute to its unique appeal. Even the 15-inch wheels, though small by contemporary standards, perfectly fill the arches, enhancing its aggressive appearance. An interesting detail is the rear fog light, which, unlike its Japanese counterpart, is externally fitted below the light cluster to comply with EU and UK regulations, a small but significant adaptation for international markets. Colour options are limited, with purple being the standard, but this bold choice only adds to its distinct personality.
Interior Comfort and Quirks: Where Form Meets Function (Mostly)
Stepping inside, the Super N presents a somewhat contrasting picture. While accents like a blue dash flash, an LED strip, and cool-looking seats add a touch of flair, much of the interior is described as functional, if a little plasticky. Honda’s commitment to driver usability shines through with physical climate control buttons and heated seat switches, a welcome relief in an era of touchscreen dominance. However, some quirks exist, such as the heated steering wheel button oddly placed near the driver’s knee, and the door handle integrated into the armrest, which can be less than comfortable for resting an arm. The main screen, while supporting wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, offers lower-definition visuals for the infotainment and reversing camera, yet the driver’s display provides comprehensive and customizable information.
Surprising Space: Rear Access and Clever Seating
Perhaps one of the most unexpected revelations of the **Honda Super N** is its interior flexibility, particularly in the rear. The rear doors open to an almost 90-degree angle, providing an unusually wide aperture that makes ingress and egress remarkably easy. Once inside, knee room is surprisingly generous, a feat for such a compact vehicle. While very tall passengers might find headroom snug, a clever reclining function for the rear seats offers a solution, enhancing comfort for longer journeys. Despite the battery being housed in the floor, which leads to a slightly low seating position, under-thigh support is adequate, and there’s space for feet under the front seats. For families, the ISOFIX anchor points are easily accessible, and there’s ample room for even bulky rear-facing child seats, making it a surprisingly practical choice for young families or those frequently transporting children.
Boot Space and Versatility: Small but Smart Solutions
The Super N’s compact dimensions inevitably lead to certain limitations, with boot capacity being a prime example. At 162 litres, it’s not voluminous, struggling to accommodate more than one average-sized suitcase in its default upright position. There’s a useful underfloor storage compartment and no load lip, which aids in loading and unloading. However, Honda has ingeniously addressed the small boot by incorporating a “magic seat” system, a feature lifted from other Honda models. The rear seat bases can be lifted and locked vertically, creating a tall, open space directly behind the front seats. This innovative solution allows for the transportation of tall items that would otherwise never fit in the boot, effectively compensating for its limited traditional cargo volume and significantly enhancing its versatility for urban living.
The Electric Compromise: Range and Charging Challenges
While the **Honda Super N** excels in driving enjoyment and clever packaging, its electric powertrain, specifically its battery capacity and charging speed, presents the most significant compromise for many potential owners. This is where the car’s fundamental design philosophy, prioritizing lightness and agility, directly impacts its practical utility for a wider audience.
Understanding the Super N’s Range Limitations
The Super N is equipped with a modest battery capacity of approximately 30 kilowatt-hours (kWh). While this contributes to the car’s impressive lightness and nimble feel, it results in a somewhat limited driving range. Real-world testing revealed an actual range of around 120 miles on a full charge, which is close to Honda’s claimed average of 128 miles. While Honda suggests an almost 200-mile range for purely urban driving, this figure often doesn’t resonate with the varied needs of most car owners. For city dwellers who charge at home daily, this range might suffice. However, for anyone needing to venture beyond city limits or without consistent home charging, 120 miles quickly becomes a constraint, requiring frequent stops and careful journey planning.
Slow Charging in a Fast-Paced World
Compounding the range issue is the Super N’s relatively slow charging capability. It maxes out at a mere 50 kilowatts (kW) on DC fast chargers. To put this into perspective, many modern EVs offer charging speeds of 100 kW, 150 kW, or even more, drastically reducing stop times. At 50 kW, the Super N adds approximately 2.5 miles of range per minute, meaning even a significant top-up on a long journey can take a considerable amount of time. While the front-mounted charging port is convenient for home charging, this slow public charging speed makes longer trips a potential “nightmare,” necessitating regular, extended stops and highlighting the car’s narrow remit primarily as an urban commuter or a secondary vehicle for shorter excursions.
The Impact of Battery Capacity on Driving Feel
It’s important to acknowledge that the very aspects that make the **Honda Super N** a joy to drive – its lightness and agility – are intrinsically linked to its smaller battery capacity. A larger battery would inevitably add significant weight, potentially dulling its sharp handling and compromising its “hot hatch” feel. This creates a fundamental dilemma: to maintain its engaging driving dynamics, Honda had to choose a smaller, lighter battery, which in turn limits its range and charging speed. This decision underscores a philosophical divide in EV design, balancing performance and driver engagement against the practical demands of long-distance capability and rapid charging, a trade-off that significantly impacts the car’s overall appeal to different segments of the market.
The UK Regulatory Maze and the Kei Car Argument
The challenges faced by the **Honda Super N** in the UK market extend beyond its inherent specifications, delving into the complex realm of automotive regulations and government mandates. The reviewer passionately argues that current UK rules are “stupid” and hinder the availability of more suitable, diverse, and potentially more impactful vehicles for the general public.
ZEV Mandate: Unintended Consequences for Niche Cars
At the heart of the issue is the UK’s Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate. This regulation compels car manufacturers to sell a progressively increasing percentage of zero-emission electric vehicles each year. Failure to meet these targets results in significant fines. While the intention behind the ZEV mandate is to accelerate the transition to electric vehicles, it creates a powerful incentive for manufacturers to prioritize EV sales, potentially at the expense of introducing highly efficient, smaller internal combustion engine (ICE) alternatives. The reviewer points out that if the Super N were available with its original 660cc turbocharged petrol engine and a manual gearbox (as it is in Japan), it would appeal to a much wider audience due to lower cost, familiar refueling, and greater flexibility. Such a vehicle, while still emitting CO2, could significantly reduce overall emissions by replacing larger, less efficient cars, arguably having a greater positive impact than selling a limited number of niche EVs.
Learning from Japan: The Kei Car Philosophy
The reviewer proposes that the UK could learn from Japan’s highly successful Kei car category. This system offers tax breaks and price reductions for cars that fall below specific dimensions, engine capacities, and fuel consumption thresholds. Implementing a similar framework in the UK could encourage manufacturers to bring in genuinely compact, efficient vehicles—whether petrol or electric—that are perfectly suited for urban environments and shorter journeys. This approach would incentivize a broader shift from larger, less efficient vehicles to smaller, more appropriate alternatives, potentially achieving greater overall CO2 reductions than a rigid, EV-only mandate by 2030 or 2035. The current mandate, as suggested, inadvertently leads to a “one size fits all” approach that overlooks the diverse needs and preferences of consumers, ultimately leading to compromises like the limited appeal of the Super N for many.
The “Toy” vs. “Car” Dilemma
Ultimately, the **Honda Super N** exists in a curious space: a brilliant engineering feat and an immensely fun driving experience, yet massively compromised for most people’s primary transportation needs. The reviewer concludes that while he “seriously considers buying one” for himself because he appreciates the fun factor and has other vehicles, he cannot recommend it as a primary car for the general public. He categorizes it as “less of a car and more of a toy.” This distinction is critical: if a buyer can afford a £19,000 “toy”—a secondary vehicle for recreational drives, short commutes, or as a passionate enthusiast’s choice—then the Super N is an excellent option. However, if a buyer needs a reliable, versatile, long-range primary mode of transport, its range and charging limitations make it a difficult proposition, particularly when compared to alternatives that offer more comprehensive utility for a similar price.
Sustainability and Value: Beyond the Numbers
Beyond its driving dynamics and regulatory context, the **Honda Super N** also makes a subtle nod towards sustainability and enters a competitive price segment, prompting comparisons with established alternatives.
Recycled Materials: A Nod to Eco-Consciousness
Honda has incorporated thoughtful sustainability elements into the Super N’s design. The front panel, for instance, is crafted from recycled covers of other cars’ tail lights, giving new life to otherwise discarded materials. Additionally, the fabric used for the seats is made from recycled Honda factory worker uniforms, further emphasizing a commitment to circular economy principles. These details, while not immediately obvious, contribute to the car’s eco-conscious narrative and align with the growing consumer demand for more sustainable manufacturing practices in the automotive industry. The car is also proudly vegan-friendly, with no animal products used in its interior, appealing to a specific demographic.
Pricing and Market Alternatives
Priced at £19,000, the **Honda Super N** enters a competitive segment. While this might seem attractive for a new EV, the market offers compelling alternatives. For a similar budget, one could consider a nearly new Renault 5, which, while not as dynamically engaging in the reviewer’s opinion, might offer greater practicality or range depending on the variant. Alternatively, for those open to internal combustion engines, a used VW Up GTI presents a highly lauded and fun-to-drive option. The discussion around new versus used cars also highlights the importance of due diligence, with services like CarVertical providing essential history checks to uncover issues like crash damage, as demonstrated with a problematic VW Up example. Ultimately, the Super N’s unique blend of attributes demands a buyer who values its specific strengths and understands its compromises, rather than seeking a general-purpose vehicle.
The **Honda Super N** stands as a fascinating case study in the evolving automotive world. It’s a testament to Honda’s engineering prowess and a commitment to creating genuinely fun-to-drive vehicles. It highlights the potential for small, agile EVs to inject excitement into daily commutes. Yet, it also serves as a stark illustration of how current regulatory frameworks and market demands can profoundly shape a car’s viability, pushing innovative, driver-focused vehicles into a niche category. For those who prioritize spirited driving, compact dimensions, and a distinctive personality, and can accommodate its range and charging limitations, the **Honda Super N** offers an undeniably appealing package. It’s a car that inspires passion and debate, embodying both the promise and the paradox of the modern electric vehicle.
Super-N, Senseless Regulations, and Your Burning Questions
What is the Honda Super N?
The Honda Super N is a compact electric car with Japanese Kei car origins, designed to offer a spirited and fun driving experience.
What makes the Honda Super N fun to drive?
It features a ‘boost button’ for quicker acceleration, agile handling, and even includes unique simulated gear changes and artificial engine noise to enhance the driving feel.
What are the biggest challenges with the Honda Super N as an electric car?
Its main limitations are a modest driving range of about 120 miles on a full charge and relatively slow charging speeds, making longer journeys less convenient.
What is a Kei car and how does it influence the Honda Super N?
Kei cars are a category of very small vehicles in Japan. The Honda Super N gets its compact dimensions and agile characteristics from this design philosophy.
