When it comes to the range of electric models, Honda is not at the forefront. Since the Honda E disappeared from the market in Europe, the somewhat unfortunately named e:NY1 – actually the electric cousin of the HR-V – is the brand’s only electric car here. Outside Europe, Honda has made efforts to expand its EV range. For example, Honda had big plans together with General Motors for the development of a huge range of EVs, but these will not happen. At least, not together with GM. The Honda Prologue and Acura ZDX, which are not available in Europe, and which are based on GM, will therefore no longer have cousins that General Motors has interfered with. In China, Honda continues to significantly expand its EV strategy with local partners and has now even entered into an EV partnership with fellow countryman Sony. For example, the two jointly market the EV brand Afeela. But there is more! In 2023, Honda promised during the CES in Las Vegas the arrival of a completely new family of EV models that will go on sale worldwide. That will happen in 2026 and this Honda 0 Saloon and Honda 0 SUV are the first two that you can expect on the market. Honda 0 Saloon ‘Are they really going to be called that?’, we hear you thinking. Certainly not. The Honda 0 Saloon and 0 SUV are what Honda still describes as prototypes. The 0 in the name refers to the 0 Series EV family of which they are part. We wouldn’t be surprised if the 0 doesn’t appear in the future model name either. Does the 0 Saloon look somewhat familiar to you? Can be right. The Honda 0 Saloon is the more production-ready-looking version of the precursor of the same name that debuted during the 2024 CES. Just like the original, the revised Honda 0 Saloon is a strikingly sleek electric sedan-like car. With its almost Lamborghini-like silhouette and front, angular lines and A-pillar visually flowing into the front hatch, it remains a unique appearance. The squeegee-looking front of the harbinger shown last year has made way for a more concrete front this year, complete with cooling openings and headlights housed lower in the front lid. These are no longer flat horizontal units, but more vertically oriented ones. The Honda logo now has a spot on the front cover. Also new is the module on the roof that houses the necessary sensor work. According to the Japanese, the car should be able to drive around autonomously at level 3. So those sensors are not just there. The bottom line of the refined vision for the future has not been significantly adjusted, which suggests that at a later stage – during the CES of 2026 perhaps? – another updated version appears. What we also see for the first time: the interior. Compared to the futuristic exterior of the car, that looks remarkably ‘normal’. It mainly consists of displays and you will find a yoke-like handlebar, which means it has a handlebar cut off at the top. Honda describes the 0 Saloon as the flagship of the 0 Series. It will be launched in the United States in 2026, other markets – including Japan and Europe – will follow afterwards, without a deadline being specified. We are guessing 2027, also because 2026 is promised for Europe for the SUV. Honda 0 SUV The 0 Saloon, which debuted during the CES in Las Vegas in 2024, shone next to the Space Hub. The Space-Hub Concept has undergone a major metamorphosis and has been transformed into a considerably more conventional-looking preview, this time called 0 SUV. Honda describes the 0 SUV as a ‘mid-sized electric SUV’. So count on an SUV of at least CR-V size. Just like the 0 Saloon, the 0 SUV will also be launched in the United States in 2026, with Europe following the same year. So for the time being the car will come here sooner than the sedan. Assimo Do you remember the Honda Assimo? The Assimo – which stands for Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility – is a robot with a human-like shape, the first of which was presented 25 years ago. The robot, which has been shown in a new form several times over the years, gives its name to the operating system that you will find in the electric Hondas of the 0 series. It’s called Assimo OS. According to the Japanese, it should contribute to the autonomous driving skills of the cars, but also to the ease of use of the systems. Expect a digital assistant that you can chat to, whether or not for fun. You can read more about Honda’s 0 Series here and here and here.
Source: www.autoweek.nl
