What's the difference?
Nobody saw this coming.
Honda’s first electric vehicle (EV) in Australia, the Kei-car based Super-One, sold out within the first five hours of going on sale back in August.
Granted, buyers swallowing up all 130 units in record time does not mean we’re in for an endless summer of Super-One love.
But it has been a big hit elsewhere, too, selling 10 times Honda’s original forecasts in Japan.
So, what does this hot retro runabout have, and why are people so excited, when Australia is now awash with affordable EVs?
Time to find out.
Kia has released the newly updated Niro, which is the smaller and less sporty sibling to Kia’s popular, EV6. As far as EVs go, it has a decent driving range and specs that should entice first-time electric vehicle owners to dip their toes into the EV pool.
However, the updated model does come with a price hike… which might not excite a budget-conscious buyer, especially with such affordable competitors like the MG ZS EV and Hyundai Kona Electric also available.
I’ve been hanging in it for a week with my family of three to see how it handles!
Honda is on a roll, with the Super-One reflecting the brand’s excellent engineering essence more vividly than any other model.
On paper, the Kei-car based EV is big on price but small on power, space, battery capacity and range. Chinese brands must be laughing.
Yet the Super-One punches well above its (commendably low) weight for style, charm, fun and efficiency, while delivering larger-car levels of comfort, refinement and features.
Given the premium pricing is well beneath other premium retro EV rivals like the Mini Cooper and Fiat Abarth 500e, the Super-One even makes a convincing value-for-money pledge for itself.
We can’t wait to drive it more. Little wonder this has been such a big global hit.
Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer with meals provided.
The Kia Niro S Electric is a solid little SUV that has decent space inside and some nice specs, but it's more expensive than its nearest rivals. The EV powertrain can take a little getting used to and I would have liked a smoother ride, but the 460km driving range is good.
For first-time EV owners, this wouldn’t be a bad option if you wanted to dip your toes in the water but it will suit urban dwellers and smaller families, like mine, best. This gets a 7.5/10 from me.
My son wasn’t in love with this one. Not enough buttons for him to press and he did comment on how bumpy the ride was in the back. He gives it a 6.0/10.