Well, well, well. Honda has announced that the e:N2 is now open for booking in Thailand, almost exactly the same time that it confirmed the car’s twin, the Insight, was headed to Japan. Both cars are imported from China, where they are badged the e:NS2 as part of the company’s joint venture with Dongfeng.
This time, we know far more information about the electric SUV, including the fact that the mechanicals are unchanged from the e:NS2. You still get a single front motor producing 204 PS (150 kW) and 310 Nm of torque, as well as the e:N1‘s 68.8 kWh CATL NMC battery that delivers a range of 530 km on the NEDC cycle (545 km CLTC). In Japan, the Insight is claimed to do over 500 km on the WLTP cycle.
Charging performance has yet to be confirmed, but as a reference, the e:NS2 takes a rather leisurely 36 minutes to charge from 30 to 80% on a DC fast charger. It will also charge from 5 to 100% in 9.5 hours using an AC wallbox charger.
Measuring 4,788 mm long, 1,838 mm wide and 1,570 mm tall, the e:N2 is quite a bit larger than the BYD Atto 3 and Proton eMas 7, being closer in size to the Leapmotor C10. Against that car, the Honda is 49 mm longer but 60 mm narrower and a whopping 110 mm lower, while its 2,733 mm wheelbase is 92 mm shorter.
As previously reported, the e:N2’s design is distinctive and includes arrow-shaped LED daytime running lights joined together by a full-width light bar to form a “H” graphic, plus corresponding taillights, flush pop-out front door handles, hidden rear handles and an almost fastback-like roofline. The Thai-market model rides on 18-inch two-tone alloy wheels with an interesting “finned” design.
Inside, you’ll find an almost un-Honda tech-forward dashboard housing a 9.4-inch slimline instrument display, a 12.8-inch infotainment touchscreen running on the latest Honda Connect 4.0 interface, and an 11.5-inch head-up display. As per the e:N1, the air-con controls have been moved into the screen.
Other features include an air fragrancing system, power-adjustable front seats (eight-way with memory for the driver, four-way for the passenger) with ventilation, a sunroof and a 12-speaker Bose sound system. You also get standard kit such as LED head- and taillights, keyless entry, push-button start, dual-zone auto air con with rear vents, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a Qi wireless charger, a 360-degree camera and a hands-free powered tailgate.
Safety-wise, the e:N2 comes with seven airbags (including a centre airbag), stability control and the full suite of Honda Sensing driver assists. The latter includes autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control with stop and go, lane centring assist, road departure mitigation, front departure alert, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert and auto high beam.
In Thailand, the e:N2 carries estimated pricing of “1,4XX,XXX baht”, so expect somewhere in the region of RM180,000. The availability of the car in the Land of Smiles raises the possibility of it coming to Malaysia, although the reinstated taxes for CBU fully-imported EVs does complicate things. Perhaps CKD local assembly will figure later on, just as with the e:N1.
