23/11/2025

theSunday Special XIV ON SUNDAY NOV 23, 2025

the usual Honda parts bin. The window switches look similar to the Honda City, as does the infotainment system. The gear selector buttons are from the Honda e:N1 but the two spoke wheel will be new territory for Malaysians. The buttons on the wheel? Not so much as they too are lifted from other Honda models. The seats are similar to the ones in the N One e, but here they are finished in different material that includes something that looks like denim, suede and what I am assuming to be faux leather. All held together by blue stitching. Honda’s official press materials describe the interior as “a space that heightens anticipation for an excellent driving experi ence.” WHAT ABOUT TECH? Earlier in this article, I asked that you remember the battery and range of the N One e, and this is where it is important because Honda is holdings its cards close to its chest with regards to all the tech that underpins the Super-One. But since both cars are pretty much the same, though the Super-One has flared arches, an angrier stance, and some go fast bits, we can make some correlations. The N-One e utilises a 29.3kWh battery pack which gives it a 295km WLTP range. In terms of charging, the base car can be recharged using a 6kW AC charger that will take 4.5 hours to fully recharge while a 50kW DC fast-charger will take 30 minutes to reach 80%. Though there is little to no information regarding the tech underneath the Super One, the fact that both cars share the same platform means that it would not be too far fetched to assume that the powertrain is the same as well. In fact, one could also be forgiven for thinking of the Super-One as the angrier

proper pocket rocket. I also really like that the steering mounted paddle shifters act like they are shifting gears and this just makes it feel like you’re piling on speed quickly. But glance at the digital instrument clus ter and you will realise you are not going anywhere very quick. The car just makes you feel that way and I really don’t mind it because what eventually matters is how the car makes you feel, and the Super-One pro totype feels like a lot of fun. The Super-One also differentiates itself from the base N-One e through a steering mounted Boost button. It is unclear whether it adds more power when activated, but it surely makes the car sound and feel purposeful when pressed. Honda says that when the Boost mode is turned on, it “stimulates the driver’s senses – including visual and auditory senses, as well as a tactile sensation of acceleration and vibration.” LET’S TALK ABOUT THE INTERIOR Before we get to the overall look and feel, let’s get one thing out of the way, the Super One is a small car, the rear seats feel cramped, and the boot space can only be described in the most Malaysian manner – boleh, lah . I am a tall and wide person, and so was the Honda engineer sitting next to me dur ing the test drive. And we were almost shoulder to shoulder. Now that we have got that out of the way, the dashboard looks and feels simplistic, but you get hard buttons for all of the key controls. Honda may have taken its time with EV’s, but at least it has learnt from real world feedback what the Chinese and Tesla are still struggling with – hard buttons mat ter! Besides that, all of the controls are from

sibling of the N-One e, one designed for a little bit of fun rather than a bland, charac terless everyday EV. Central to the Super-One prototype package is that aforementioned Boost but ton. WILL IT BE AVAILABLE IN MALAY SIA? Honda says that its Super-One prototype “has undergone testing on various road sur faces and under diverse climate conditions in Japan, the UK and other countries across Asia to further enhance its driving perform ance”. In fact, the Super-One has already been spotted being tested in Malaysia as well. And more importantly, Honda is not a com pany that will fly a group of journalists to Japan to test drive a car only for the car not to make it to our shores. The real question is not if, but when, it will arrive in Malaysia. And when it does, keep in mind that the Super-One prototype was also showcased at the iconic Goodwood Festival of speed in the UK. And that itself shows that Honda wants to position it as a “unique car with new possibilities of a new joy of driving unique to Honda EVs.” After what I experienced with it, I believe that driving enthusiasts will like it as much as I did. Sometimes you don’t have to go fast to have fun.

engineered to mimic the sounds of a sporty engine together with a seven-speed trans mission. The artificial sound also perfectly mimics the sound of rev-matching during down shifts. Other members of the press who had also driven the car reported that they expe rienced “power cuts” in between these arti ficial shifts. This is also sometimes referred to as a fuel cut. A power cut is what you experience dur ing gear shifts when the engine cuts out, the clutch engages and a gear shift takes place. Some car makers have learnt to artifi cially mimic this in their electric vehicles since these cars do not have a transmission box. This is done to add a touch of sporting character to a car that is otherwise too quiet and too vanilla in character. Both are aspects that matter for driving enthusiasts. However, I personally did not experience the power cut. Perhaps I was not pushing the car hard enough. But, I did experience it in the Honda Prelude I drove after the Super-One, and though that’s a different story, I can say that it makes the car feel like a regular, fast, per formance car. Honda’s official press release on the Super-One prototype mentions that the car “simulated seven-speed transmission that reproduces the gearshift feel of a traditional multi-gear transmission.” WHAT ELSE? It’s size is a big part of its character. If you have ever driven a small, turbocharged car like a Perodua Kancil with a turbo charged engine swap, you will know what I am talking about. It’s speed is not exactly brain numbing but the sound that you get when boost mode is activated just makes it feel like a

SPECIFICATIONS Honda N-One e (base car) Battery: 29.3kWh

AC charging: 6kW (4.5 hours, 0-100%) DC charging: 50kW (30 mins, 10-80%) Range: 295km WLTP We like: Fun to drive character. We don’t like: Front mounted charging port.

The gear selector is identical to the one found in the Honda e:N1.

Some of the controls are from the current Honda parts bin.

The sports seats provide all the right support during spirited driving.