The Honda e:Ny1 has the well-judged control weights we expect from a Honda, but the electric motor’s refinement and calibration aren’t up to scratch. Immediately after moving away, you notice the intrusive whine from the electric motor – manoeuvring at low speeds in an EV should be a peaceful affair, but the e:Ny1’s setup somehow manages to drown out the pedestrian warning sound, which itself is hardly subtle.

Then you pick up on the jittery low-speed ride. It improves as your speed builds, but on particularly broken urban surfaces, the Honda struggles to settle – this was only emphasised by our photographer’s camera kit rattling about in the boot. The 18” wheels - the standard size on all models - also contributed to the fidgeting we experienced at motorway speeds.

The Eco driving mode shows the car in its best light. We found it challenging to rein-in the power of the single 201bhp front-mounted motor in Normal or Sport modes, with hard acceleration away from junctions resulting in a surprising degree of torque steer. Rear-driven rivals seem more adept at transferring drive to the road – indeed, you’ll not suffer the same sort of wheel spin in the (much more affordable) MG4.

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2017 Ford

Focus

20,705 milesManualPetrol1.0L

Cash £11,697

View Focus

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2021 Nissan

Leaf

15,169 milesAutomaticElectric

Cash £11,197

View Leaf

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2021 Vauxhall

Corsa

26,624 milesManualPetrol1.2L

Cash £10,997

View Corsa

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2024 BMW

1 Series

20,879 milesAutomaticPetrol1.5L

Cash £21,676

View 1 Series

Once you’re up and running though, body control is well contained and the e:Ny1 handles rather neatly. The steering is precise but light enough for easy urban driving and the brake pedal offers a seamless transition between the regenerative braking system and the physical one. We’d like a little more force from the regenerative braking system, however – especially as it’s so intuitively controlled via the paddles behind the steering wheel. There’s barely any tangible difference in the various levels; those who prefer the one-pedal style of driving will need to look elsewhere because no setting is strong enough to slow the car sufficiently.

Engines, 0-60 acceleration and top speed

There’s only one powertrain option with the Honda e:Ny1. Power from the battery under the floor drives a single electric motor on the front axle, making the e:NY1 front-wheel drive. The 201bhp power output and 310Nm of torque of the e:Ny1 are much greater than a Peugeot e-2008, but the 1,750kg Honda can struggle to put its power down efficiently. If you can manage the power without turning the tyres into smoke, a 0-62mph time of 7.6 seconds is better than a traditional petrol or diesel SUV, but not quite up there with the best EVs. The top speed is 99mph.

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In This Review

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Richard Ingram

Deputy editor

Richard has been part of the team for over a decade. During this time he has covered a huge amount of news and reviews for Auto Express, as well as being the face of Carbuyer and DrivingElectric on Youtube. In his current role as deputy editor, he is now responsible for keeping our content flowing and managing our team of talented writers.