Meet the Honda Super-One, a compact fully electric vehicle designed for urban mobility. This EV is seen as a modern retro take on the iconic Honda City Turbo II, combining a tall boxy design with an electric drivetrain.
At a time when most popular EVs are SUVs, the Super-One focuses on being small, lightweight and potentially more accessible, which is an underserved segment in Malaysia’s EV market today.
A compact EV based on Honda’s kei car roots
While not officially classified as a kei car, the Super-One is a compact EV based on Honda’s N-One e:, inheriting its design philosophy of maximising space and efficiency within a small footprint. Its upright and boxy design helps to optimise interior usability, while maintaining dimensions suited for dense urban environments. As you would expect from a Honda, the compact EV also comes with magic seats in the rear, which can be folded upwards to carry larger items.
Honda positions the Super-One as an easy-to-use EV for daily commutes, focusing on practicality rather than complexity.
BOOST Mode, simulated 7-speed gearbox and virtual engine sounds
Powering the Super-One is an electric motor that produces 47 kW (63hp) in normal driving conditions. When BOOST Mode is engaged with a push of a button, the power output increases to 70 kW (94hp), which provides stronger acceleration when needed.
Beyond outright performance, the Super-One is designed to make EV driving feel more engaging. It comes with a simulated “7-speed transmission” that reproduces the gearshift feel of a petrol powered vehicle. On top of that, it also gets an Active Sound Control system that generates a virtual engine sound inside the cabin, which responds to driver inputs such as acceleration and braking.
There’s also steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters to simulate gear changes. These additions are meant to create a driving experience that feels closer to a internal combustion engine-powered car while retaining the benefits of an EV.
The Super-One features a digital triple-gauge cluster consisting of a battery temperature gauge, a power gauge and a pseudo-tachometer. The pseudo-tachometer displays a virtual engine RPM and it works in sync with the simulated gear shifts, to provide a familiar visual reference for drivers. The layout is said to be designed to resemble mechanical analogue gauges.
The dashboard itself looks like a typical Japanese kei-car. It still retains physical buttons and switches, while the infotainment system supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
The compact EV also features an 8-speaker Bose Premium Sound System which includes a subwoofer installed in the boot. According to Honda, the Super-One is their first compact model to feature a Bose sound system.
Up to 274 km range (WLTC) and weighs just over 1000kg
Designed for city driving, the Super-One has a rated range of up to 274 km based on the WLTC test cycle used in Japan.
Honda says the vehicle’s lighter weight contributes to higher electricity efficiency, with the Super-One weighing approximately 1,090 kg. Battery capacity and charging specifications have not been disclosed yet but it is likely to feature the same 29.6 kWh unit from the N-ONE e:.
Orders open from 16 April in Japan
Honda is accepting orders for the Super-One from 16 April in Japan but the pricing has not been revealed yet. Interestingly, a prototype was previously spotted testing on Malaysian roads, which suggests that the model could be released for our local market.
However, under current policy by Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI), new fully imported EVs are subject to a minimum price of RM250,000. This would make it difficult for a compact EV like the Super-One to be positioned as an affordable option if brought in as a CBU model. The more viable pathway for the Super-One to be offered at a lower price point here if it were to be released as a locally-assembled CKD model.
If introduced at the right price point, this could be a more accessible way for people to go fully electric. It could very well be the modern-day Kenari for Malaysians.
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