Hey, Honda, how’ve you been? I know it’s been a couple years since I last begged you to bring a vehicle to our shores, but I want you to remember how well that last one went — clearly, I have my finger on the pulse of the American market. Now I’m here again, on my hands and knees, to plead for another vehicle: Honda, give us the Super EV city car concept, the first teaser image of which was revealed today.
Will Americans want a small, practical, easily-parkable hatchback with big round eyes and boxy fender flares? No, no they won’t. This is the kind of car that flops in America so badly that companies no longer even bother bringing cool stuff to us. But there’s still a chance it catches on — Honda is debuting the Super EV at Goodwood next month, where the prototype will run up the hill. Most Americans out there probably won’t be watching the hillclimb live, but think about how big some of those runs have gotten online — I still remember the A90 Supra’s engine note from its camouflaged hill run back in 2018. Maybe this can remind Americans about hot hatches, about compact performance, and about how fun cars don’t need to be massive or expensive.
We don’t deserve this, but it would fix us
The Super EV sure looks a lot like Honda’s N-One kei car, disguised with a new front end and hood but seemingly sharing the same glass, doors and other panels. Yet, it expands beyond the bounds of the N-One’s kei class size limits with those fender flares — that’s right, rally fans, this is a widebody hatchback just like a Renault 5 Turbo. Could this surprise reveal from Honda, a vehicle we’ve never even seen before, be a sort of automotive chosen one that rescues us from all-trucks-forever hell? Almost certainly not, but it’s nice to dream. Honda, you’re all about the power of dreams, and you should power our dreams by giving us this car. Nailed the pitch.
Honda, I beg of you, give us a little electric hatch. An electric hot hatch would be even better — and that may well be what we’re getting, based on the press release saying “the Super EV Concept … realizes both practical usability and the ‘joy of driving’ only Honda can offer”. I’d take one that’s just regular, basic, affordable, electric transportation, though. That’s what we should all be driving anyway, it’s the best car for most of our needs, and it could have the chance to win American hearts and minds back to loving small cars. I believe in the Super EV, Honda, and I believe it can work here — we could be part of that vague “global market launch” you mention. It just needs the chance.
