Honda E Advance 2020 UK first drive

Honda certainly feels so: it points out that it could simply have strapped a battery under the recently launched front wheel-drive Honda Jazz hybrid (longer and a bit more spacious in the back), but it instead chose to give the E a new platform to give it dynamically pure rear-wheel drive, plus a 50:50 weight distribution and MacPherson strut-type independent suspension at either end. The move away from front-wheel drive also allows the steered wheels to turn very tightly, which yields the taxi-beating turning circle of 8.6 metres between kerbs.

The E’s single electric drive motor sits between its rear wheels. In the base model, it makes 134bhp, while the Advance we tested gets 151bhp. Both are good for 232lb ft of torque (from standstill), but the Advance’s extra power shaves 0.7sec off the 0-62mph time of 9.0sec, even though its extra gear adds around 30kg. Power is fed into the battery via a Type 2 socket under a flap in the bonnet that neatly doubles as a styling feature.

Almost every dimension of the E points to its central purpose. It occupies about the same road footprint as the current Mini, but it’s nearly 10cm taller, so it feels pleasantly high, has a spacious and upright driving position, offers a great view of the road and affords easy cabin access front and rear. The 2530mm wheelbase is one of the longest going for a car of this length; combined with wide tracks and an ultra-low centre of gravity (courtesy of that underfloor battery), this lets the E muster impressive stability and good roll control.

Rear seat room is decent, given the car’s length, but the boot is small, because it has a high floor, due to the drive motor lurking beneath. The interior is a fascinating combination of trim that deliberately uses furniture-influenced fabrics and a matt wood finish across the dashboard (it’s much better than it sounds) to create “a lounge-like experience”. A complete contrast is the flat-fronted fascia, with no fewer than five screens across the dash.

The pair at its extremities provide rear vision: the E uses video cameras, not side mirrors, to look rearward. Ahead of the driver, there’s a classic TFT screen providing all-digital information that’s configurable in a variety of ways, and the rest of the dash is filled by a pair of 12.0in touchscreens, again very versatile in their configurations, but mostly used to control the sat-nav, ventilation and infotainment. A neat switching arrangement lets you swap the contents of the two centre screens so your passenger can juggle music or phone calls or request a new navigation route, then switch it back.

The HMI system will accept requests in a normal, conversational style if you preface them with “Okay, Honda”. The whole thing is a source of fascination to passengers and new drivers; we suspect an owner would need several days to gain full familiarity.

On the road, the E combines the best of small cars and electric cars to make a really enjoyable driving experience. It’s not truly sporty, given the high hip point and the sit-up-and-beg driving position, and some say the seats rather lack side-support for hard cornering. But the combination of a small steering wheel (three turns lock to lock), the tight turning circle and the narrowness of the body (relieved of the usual extra 20cm of mirror width), allied to the built-in low-speed precision of a very good electric powertrain, make the E a great little car for confined areas.

It zips through small traffic spaces and slips easily into tight parking slots. In the Advance, there’s an automatic parking system to help (you still work the brakes), along with an almost bewildering array of electronic crash prevention and traction-keeping measures. No small car has more, all visible and configurable via the screens.

The E is pretty decent on open roads, too. Its long wheelbase, low centre of gravity and lack of overhangs mean it resists pitching far better than most cars of this size, and it efficiently insulates occupants from road noise and bump crashes.