At the Wuhan Auto Show in 2021, Dongfeng Honda’s new pure electric model e: NS1 was unveiled. The new car is positioned as a small SUV, the design language has been fully updated, and the look and feel is similar to the current Binzhi/X-RV. One of the highlights of the new car is the e: NOS full-stack intelligent control ecosystem, which is expected to bring great improvements to the Honda brand in terms of intelligence.
Brand new e: N
The brand-new pure electric vehicle brand “e: N”, “e” is energy (power), but also electric (electricity), “N” is New (new), but also Next (evolution). The “e:N” naming method is expected to be fully applied to Honda’s pure electric models in the future. However, the “rebranding” action does not exist, but with the new brand series to show consumers different Honda products.
e: N brand models will be built based on the pure electric architecture “e: N Architecture”, integrating high-efficiency, high-power drive motors, large-capacity, high-density batteries, a dedicated frame and chassis platform for pure electric vehicles. It will integrate Honda SENSING, Honda CONNECT and smart digital cockpit into a full-stack intelligent control ecosystem “e: NOS”. In addition, in terms of design, a new design language “e:N Design” will also be used.
New car design
In terms of appearance, the new car caters to the current trend, adopting a closed mid-grid design, and leaving cooling holes in the grille under the license plate frame. The overall design language of the front is relatively fresh, but the Honda family genes are still obvious. The shape of the long and narrow headlights is not complicated, but the three-dimensional effect is strong, and the look and feel is more comfortable.
The more special one is the bumper design. The connection with the body is no longer a “split” assembly, but is divided into two layers inside and outside to form a small gradient. By the way, black paint is added to the edge to make the entire front of the car. The three-dimensional sense and freshness are more in place. Of course, the actual assembly method is no different from traditional models.
The new car headlights can realize the “Heart beat interactive light language”, and the e: N series new car logo can be lit in the middle of the car head. In addition, the e: NS1 Special Edition unveiled today uses a yellow + black color scheme, which is extremely sporty.
The side view is similar to that of a Binzhi. The length, width and height of the e: NS1 Special Edition are 4390/1790/1560mm respectively, and the wheelbase is 2610mm. In terms of stature, it is a relatively standard small SUV. What is more special is that the transition method from the roof to the C-pillar is different from that of traditional Honda models.
The rear of the car belongs to the “welfare zone”, the shape of the upper and lower double tails is slightly exaggerated, and the size of the tail under the rear windshield is really not small. The lower part adopts a through-type taillight design, and the taillight cover is also made of colorless and transparent material. The shape of the door handle has nothing to do with new energy, or the traditional front handle + rear hidden type, which is the usual way for Honda small SUVs.
The interior design is more surprising than the appearance. We saw a suspended LCD instrument + large-size central control screen on a conservative Japanese model, and the interior materials have also changed from the traditional traditions of the central console and door panels. A large amount of hard plastic has been removed in other areas, and the look and feel have been significantly improved.
The size of the central control screen placed vertically has reached 15.2 inches, and the screen itself cannot be rotated. This screen allows Honda to cancel the tradition of a large number of buttons in the car. At the same time, the look and feel of the screen itself is also very good. The narrow frame + simple UI design has significantly improved the sense of technology.
Built-in Honda CONNCET 3.0 system, which integrates more than 20 functions such as AI voice assistant, car home interconnection, energy management, OTA online upgrade, etc.; mobile phones can be the digital keys of the terminal to remotely control car doors, windows, air conditioning, etc., and It can be started via a mobile phone without a key; in addition, it is equipped with the DMC driver status perception system for the first time, which can effectively identify the status of the driver and actively remind it, making the driving experience smarter and safer.
In terms of power, the car will be equipped with two drive motors with the models TZ190HSBMCF61 and TZ190HSAMCF61 produced by Weipai Automotive Electronics (Tianjin) Co., Ltd., with maximum power of 182 horsepower (134 kilowatts) and 204 horsepower (150 kilowatts) respectively. In terms of power battery, it will be equipped with a 68.8kWh ternary lithium battery pack.
Summary: Honda finally caught up with everyone’s rhythm and put more energy into pure electric models. Compared with the market where the new car is located, e: NS1 does not have an absolute overwhelming advantage in terms of product strength. However, with the traditional strength of the Honda brand, I believe that many adjustments will not disappoint.In the next 5 years, Honda China will launch 10 new “Honda brand” pure electric models
(Editor in charge: Cao Xiaokun)
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