New Honda Super-ONE Is a Tiny EV With a Wild BOOST Mode

Honda is taking a very different approach to the small electric car with the new Honda Super-ONE. Instead of focusing only on efficiency, range, and technology, Honda designed this compact electric hatchback around something that has become increasingly difficult to find in the electric vehicle market: personality.

The Super-ONE is Honda’s first battery electric vehicle offered for sale in Australia, and its roots stretch much further back than its modern electric powertrain might suggest. Honda says the design was influenced by the 1980s Honda City Turbo II, a tiny performance hatchback that became known in Japan as the Bulldog. The connection is easy to see in the Super-ONE’s upright proportions, circular Light Emitting Diode headlights, wide stance, and muscular wheel arches.

Underneath, the Super-ONE is based on Honda’s N-ONE e: electric car, but Honda did not simply bring the Japanese model to another market. The body is 100 millimeters wider and 185 millimeters longer, giving the car a noticeably more planted appearance. Large over-fenders, chunky tires, wider bumpers, and additional air intakes help make this tiny electric hatchback look considerably more aggressive than its dimensions suggest.

Those dimensions really are compact. The Super-ONE measures just 3,582 millimeters long, 1,573 millimeters wide, and 1,616 millimeters tall. More importantly for driving enthusiasts, it weighs only 1,093 kilograms. That is unusually light for a modern electric vehicle and gives Honda a strong foundation for creating the responsive driving experience it wanted.

Power comes from a compact electric e-Axle driving the front wheels. During normal operation, the motor produces 47 kilowatts and 162 Newton meters of torque. But there is a purple BOOST button sitting on the steering wheel, and pressing it completely changes the character of the car.

BOOST Mode increases maximum output from 47 kilowatts to 70 kilowatts. Honda then goes much further than simply increasing power. BOOST Mode activates a simulated 7-speed transmission with paddle shifters, allowing the driver to experience artificial gear changes similar to those of a conventional performance car.

Honda has even developed an Active Sound Control system that produces a synthesized engine-style soundtrack through the cabin speakers. The sound reacts to what the driver is doing, while the digital instrument display changes into a purple 3-dial layout complete with a simulated rev counter. The ambient lighting also changes from blue to purple.

None of this is necessary for an electric car, and that is exactly what makes the idea interesting. Honda is deliberately adding theater and interaction to make the Super-ONE more entertaining behind the wheel.

The paddle shifters have different functions depending on the selected driving mode. ECON and NORMAL modes allow the driver to adjust regenerative braking through 6 levels. CITY Mode offers 4 levels of Single Pedal Control deceleration. SPORT and BOOST modes transform the paddles into controls for the simulated 7-speed gearbox.

Honda has also put serious effort into the chassis. The floor-mounted battery creates a low center of gravity, while the wider track improves stability. The suspension and steering were specifically tuned for the Super-ONE instead of simply being carried over from the Japanese donor model.

Honda uses aluminum lower front arms, strengthened hubs, specially designed driveshafts, and a reinforced rear beam axle. Honda-specific tires were also developed alongside the chassis rather than simply being added at the end of development.

The battery itself has a capacity of 29.6 kilowatt-hours. Honda lists a driving range of up to 202 kilometers using the Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure, while the older New European Driving Cycle figure reaches 253 kilometers.

A 50 kilowatt Direct Current fast charger can take the battery from 15 percent to 80 percent in approximately 30 minutes. Using 3-phase 10 kilowatt Alternating Current charging, Honda lists approximately 3 hours from the charging warning level to a full charge.

Inside, Honda has continued the retro-inspired theme without making the cabin feel old. A 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster uses a 3-dial design inspired by the City Turbo II, while the climate controls have a cassette-player-style appearance. Special sports seats feature substantial side bolsters along with asymmetric blue and light-colored trim.

Despite the tiny exterior dimensions, the Super-ONE seats 4 people. Honda’s Magic Seats make the rear of the cabin particularly flexible, with 9 different rear-seat arrangements and 18 total seating configurations. Cargo capacity can expand from 162 liters to as much as 967 liters with the rear seats folded.

Technology is surprisingly extensive for such a small car. A 9.0-inch touchscreen supports wired and wireless Apple CarPlay as well as wireless Android Auto. Google Built-in adds Google Maps, Google Assistant, and Google Play.

An 8-speaker Bose premium audio system includes a 13.1-liter subwoofer positioned beneath the cargo floor. Owners can also use the Honda Connect Gen2 application to monitor battery status, schedule charging, pre-condition the cabin, and use a smartphone as a digital key.

Honda SENSING is standard and includes Collision Mitigation Braking, Forward Collision Warning, Traffic Jam Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Keeping Assist, and Road Departure Mitigation. Honda also says this is the first vehicle of its size from the company to feature Post-Collision Braking.

In Australia, the Super-ONE is offered in Mono and Two-Tone versions, with pricing starting at $36,900 drive away. Colors include Crystal Black, Luminous Grey, and Boost Violet Pearl, while the Two-Tone version combines Boost Violet Pearl with a contrasting Crystal Black roof.

Perhaps the most interesting part of the Super-ONE is not a specification at all. Honda could have created another small electric commuter designed purely around efficiency. Instead, it built an electric hatchback with simulated gears, paddle shifting, artificial engine sounds, retro styling, and a dedicated BOOST button.

It is a slightly unusual combination, but that appears to be exactly the point. Honda wanted the Super-ONE to prove that a small electric vehicle can still have character. With a lightweight body, 70 kilowatts available in BOOST Mode, and a driving experience deliberately designed around interaction, the Super-ONE may be one of Honda’s most unconventional electric cars yet.