Honda’s Cutest EV Also Has Simulated Gear Shifting

The Honda Super-N is an EV city car set to go on sale in Europe this year.
It will have simulated shifting paired with synthetic engine sounds.
Price will be under $26,900 when it goes on sale.

Honda may have given up on its own self-developed EVs for North America, but that doesn’t mean it's down for the count everywhere else.

Meet the Honda Super-N. We’ve seen it in preproduction prototype form, and barely camouflaged, running around the Goodwood Festival of Speed, but now it’s been revealed. This car is headed to “select global markets,” starting with the UK. Oh, and it shouldn’t break the bank. Honda says that it’ll start under £20,000, or around $26,900 according to current exchange rates.

Mechanically, the Honda Super-N started life as the Honda N-One kei car. From there, Honda has converted it to electric power, while widening the N-One’s narrow body. The Super-N’s output is only 63 horsepower, but its boost mode increases that to 94 horsepower on demand. Honda hasn’t said much about official 0-60 times or top speed yet.

To make it sharper to drive, the Super-N has simulated shifting and artificial combustion noises. I’ve tried a prototype version of this system in Japan; it’s remarkably convincing and definitely adds charm to the EV experience. It’s not clear if Honda’s greatest-hits style selectable engine sounds will be available here, though.

The Super-N is rated for 128 miles of range (combined) from the WLTP cycle. If the Super-N were to ever come to the U.S., I’d expect that to be closer to 100 miles. Honda hasn’t confirmed the battery size, although older prototype drives do suggest that a 29 kWh battery is under the floor.

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Stylistically, the Super-N is smart-looking, if slightly old. This retro-styled small car has been a strong seller on the Japanese market in gas form since its introduction in 2011. Even though this latest generation was released in 2020, the car still looks fresh, especially with its wide-body kit meant to recall cars like the Honda City Turbo from the 1980s.

The Honda Super-N is unlikely to come to the U.S. It’s really small, likely to be kind of slow, and would have a very low electric range. Just look at how poorly the Fiat 500e, America's closest equivalent to the Super-N, is doing.

But U.S. tastes don’t always track across the globe. The Super-N’s price and market position put it right in the sights of other affordable EVs we don’t get here, like the swanky new Renault Twingo and the BYD Dolphin Surf.

On one hand, it’s frustrating to see Honda throw away its EV aspirations in the U.S. On the other hand, there’s a real dearth of affordable EV models, and it looks like the Super-N meets that need with a surprising amount of charm. If you're in the UK, the Honda Super-N will be on the roads before the end of this year.