Test Dongfeng Honda e: NS1, no gasoline driving fun is still

Redhead, Earth Dream, Sharp Hybrid... When it comes to Honda, fans always think of the word "sports". In the youth years, Civic single-handedly supported the dreams of teenagers. That momentum of not being afraid is like the Honda V6 in F1. The Power of Dreams, what is said is not false. However, the current revolution is far more violent than expected, and the smell of gasoline may end early. The future of the automobile belongs to electric. Honda's future, belonging to e:N. Say goodbye to VTEC, is the driving fun still there? Dongfeng Honda e: NS1 gives the answer.

Appearance | The Honda LOGO will glow

The e:N series, released in 2021, is Honda's pure electric sub-brand. As the "first bullet" product of the e:N series, Dongfeng Honda e:NS1 plays a role in carrying forward the upper and lower levels. The new car is based on the e:N Architecture F architecture and is a small, all-electric SUV. The test model is the 2022 Dongfeng Honda e:NS1 e-mobile version, which is a long-endurance model, and its CTLC cruising range has reached 510km.

The exterior part of the Honda e:NS1 gives the overall feeling of being more familiar than unfamiliar. It is not as fanciful as the new forces, but it strives to catch up with the trend, integrates the popular elements of the moment, and shows a side of change. When the sun is shining, e:NS1 looks a bit mundane and rarely attracts the attention of passers-by. When night falls and the illuminated car is marked, e:NS1 shows its maverick style. Considering the "pedigree" of traditional brands, this subtlety and introversion are already expected.

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Interior | The car machine is actually quite easy to use

In the impression, Honda models always exude a polytechnic temperament, the interior design is slightly serious, and the freshness is difficult to find. With the advent of the e:N series, Honda wanted to reverse the image and impress users with trendy design and smart configuration. Sitting in the e:NS1 car, you will immediately feel the manufacturer's change thinking. The design style is set aside for the time being, and with only a large 15.2-inch screen, the e:NS1 is enough to trigger curiosity.

In 2021, the Honda brand officially released the Honda CONNECT 3.0 Intelligent Guide Interconnection, which comprehensively upgraded the vehicle and machine system. Honda CONNECT 3.0 is undoubtedly more sincere than the evolution of 1.0 to 2.0. Dongfeng Honda e: NS1 is equipped with honda CONNECT 3.0 pure electric vehicle special version, the car machine function has caught up with the Chinese brand, but the ease of use has not regressed. At the same time, the UI design keeps pace with the times, weakening the presence of the screen border.

In recent years, car companies have promoted smart cockpits, but the top brands are generally new power brands, few traditional brands can cash in "smart", and Japanese brands are ranked last. Unexpectedly, honda CONNECT 3.0 refreshed my understanding of Japanese car machines. If the Honda locomotive in the past was just a car machine, then today, it can finally be called a smart cockpit.

Space | The back row was better than expected

In terms of space, Dongfeng Honda e:NS1 is impressive, and the reputation of "space magician" is worthy of the name. e: Although the NS1 is only a small SUV, the ride space has reached the level of a higher level SUV. Specifically, the standard legroom in the rear row reaches 830mm, which is comparable to the Yingshipai. The comfort of the seat has also reached a high level, and there is no lack of support and fit.

How do engineers "steal" out of the overflight space within a limited body size? The answer is to improve the sitting posture. When the sitting position is elevated, e:NS1 makes full use of the vertical space (Pythagorean theorem), leaving the longitudinal space to the rear row. Of course, this is bound to encroach on the vertical (head) space, bringing a certain sense of depression. If you switch to a light-coloured roof liner, the sense of openness is expected to increase.

In terms of storage space, e:NS1 also has a performance above the level. There is plenty of storage space in the front row, and no regular storage compartment is absent. The bottom of the door handle is sealed, which is convenient for placing mobile phones or high-speed cards. The fly in the ointment is that the size of the central control cup holder is large and the fixing effect is average, and the limiter cannot be firmly stuck in the common specifications of 550ml Nongfu Spring and 570ml Baisheng Mountain. There is no storage compartment in the regular position (bottom) of the rear door panels, but there are cup holders next to the window buttons. In addition, a storage compartment is designed under the air outlet of the rear air conditioner, and the storage space is small and advantageous in the same level.

Overall, the e:NS1 has a skip-the-line ride and seat comfort exceeds expectations. Unfortunately, the size of the body restricts the luggage compartment space, and the height and depth are not ideal. If you often travel with full capacity, the loading capacity of the e:NS1 may cause complaints. Conversely, as an urban car for young couples or families of three, the e:NS1 can easily meet the needs of space.

Power | The city has a range of 487km

The Honda e:N Architecture F architecture uses a single-motor design, where the "F" stands for front-wheel drive. Specifically, Dongfeng Honda e:NS1 is equipped with a front-mounted permanent magnet synchronous motor, and according to the battery pack, it provides low power and high power adjustments. The e:NS1 e-version of the test is equipped with a 68.8kWh ternary lithium battery, the maximum power of the motor is 150kW (204 hp), and the maximum torque is 310Nm. Coincidentally, the Volkswagen ID.4 long-endurance version and the Toyota bZ4X two-wheel drive version have exactly the same peak output. Today, when horsepower has become cheap, joint venture car companies still adhere to the law of equilibrium.

Since the development of the automobile industry, the internal combustion engine technology seems to have encountered a bottleneck. Coupled with the restrictions of emission regulations, fuel vehicles are gradually losing their way, and drivability (click here to review) is beginning to decline. On the contrary, pure electric vehicles are born with outstanding drivability and fast and smooth power output. Shift delay? Turbo lag? inexistent. No matter how fast the power response of fuel vehicles is, it is doomed to be on par with electric vehicles. Apply a little pressure to your right foot and the e:NS1 will give you a direct, refreshing power response. Even if the scope is limited to the electric vehicle circle, the power response of e:NS1 is also fast.

Say goodbye to the roar of the engine, e: will the NS1 be boring to drive? No matter how stubborn the "gasoline head" is, it cannot change the fact that the motor responds quickly. As for the atmosphere, e:NS1 offers an electronic sound from bose sound, the Honda EV Sound analog sound. From the actual experience, the simulated sound wave is basically the same frequency output as the acceleration force. As the "throttle" opening increases, the volume gradually rises, trying to set off the driving atmosphere. As for whether the sound is good or not, it is a matter of opinion. In my opinion, the Honda EV Sound of the e:NS1 sounds similar to an electric toothbrush, with a sense of precision and mechanics on the line at the same time, just a little less exuberant.

In the field of fuel vehicles, power reserve and gear ratio setting are the key factors affecting extreme speed. For electric vehicles, the constraint is mainly the motor speed, not the power performance. e: NS1 power reserve is abundant, there is no sense of fatigue in the legal speed limit (120km/h), but the peak speed of the motor is only 13800rpm, and the maximum speed stops at 150km/h. For comparison, the Toyota C-HR EV and Volkswagen ID.3 have a top speed of 160km/h, and the Tesla Model 3 rear-wheel-drive version can run to 225km/h.

Using Economy or Standard mode, the e:NS1 automatically minimizes energy recovery each time the accelerator pedal is released. At this time, press the deceleration paddle, and the recovery force changes immediately. During the taxi process, the drag can be large or small, all up to the driver's dispatch. With a good control of the distance, you can even replace the brakes with deceleration paddles to create a different kind of driving pleasure. In Sport mode, the energy recovery is always maintained at the driver's selected force and does not automatically "zero out" like the other two modes. In this way, it is easier for drivers to predict the acceleration and deceleration rhythm, and to drive faster with more confidence.

◆ Accelerate testing

The Honda e: NS1's extreme power performance exceeded expectations, with a best time of 0-100km/h of 7.20 seconds. From the acceleration process, the e:NS1 is a typical front-drive car. In the initial stage, the 310Nm acted on the front wheel, causing the horse brand UltraContact UC6 tires to break free of the ground and there was a slippage phenomenon. At the same time, there is a slight torque steering on the steering wheel, which somewhat reinforces the "powerful" feel. The acceleration peak is not high, but it is very stable, and it is basically maintained above 0.4g for the first 4 seconds.

In the acceleration part of the middle, Honda e: NS1 also performed well. Specifically, the acceleration time of 40-80km/h is 2.72 seconds, and the acceleration time of 80-120km/h is 5.15 seconds. Compared with the fuel vehicles that belong to the "7 Second Club", the e:NS1's mid-course acceleration performance is not lagging behind, and there is no common back-end fatigue problem of electric vehicles. What's more, the electric vehicle power response is as fast as lightning, and there is no need to hit the advance amount when overtaking.

◆ Energy consumption/endurance test

In the energy consumption test, the e:NS1 uses economic mode throughout the process and recovers kinetic energy through deceleration paddles as much as possible. During the test, the average speed was 32km/h, which is typical of urban low-speed conditions. The outdoor temperature is in the range of 10-16 ° C, and the temperature inside the car is moderate, so we put the air conditioner off. After driving 114.1km, the test team used the State Grid charging pile as e:NS1 to replenish the energy, and the actual charging capacity was 16.97kWh.

According to the 5% charging loss, the average urban energy consumption of the car is 14.1kWh/100km, which is almost the same as the apparent energy consumption (14.2kWh/100km). According to the calculation of battery capacity and measured energy consumption, the urban cruising range of the e:NS1 long-running model is about 487km, reaching 95.5% of the official CLTC cruising range.

◆ Energy test

Today, endurance is no longer a pain point for electric vehicles, but it is more likely to cause complaints. In order to verify the energy replenishment efficiency of e:NS1, we used a 60kW fast charging pile of the State Grid for charging testing. e: The NS1 takes 44 minutes to complete 30%-80% charging, with an average charging power of 44.0kW. After the SOC entered the 80%-100% range, the charging speed slowed down significantly, and the average charging power dropped to 12.6kW.

Chassis | Let the corners of your mouth raise a smile

Electric vehicles respond quickly to power, and the drivability gap between high-end models and low-end models is gradually narrowing. But if you want to raise the corners of your mouth and get real driving pleasure, the key lies in the chassis performance. Dongfeng Honda e:NS1 uses front McPherson type independent suspension, rear torque beam type non-independent suspension, chassis hardware is nothing special. As for the actual performance, it also depends on the adjustment skills, which is precisely the strength of the Honda brand.

Pure electric vehicles have no engine and are inherently better quiet. However, without the roar of the internal combustion engine, other noises and vibrations tend to become more prominent. For added comfort, engineers chose the soft-textured UltraContact UC6 tires for the e:NS1. Driving on paved roads, the tires have a soft touch, giving people a smooth and delicate feeling. Only when encountering rough asphalt roads, the grainy feeling is transmitted relatively clearly to the car. As for suspension tuning, e:NS1 deliberately retains a certain sense of road, and does not completely shield the road excitation of small amplitudes.

In the face of bad roads, e:NS1 can effectively resolve bumps. The high-speed damping is moderate, the speed reduction belt treatment is crisp and sharp, the body is rarely unwanted, and the wheel bounce is effectively controlled. The shock absorbers are more efficient, the wheels are quickly returned after compression and stretching, and the overall feel of the chassis can give a good score. In contrast, some competitors of the same level cannot quickly resolve the impact when encountering serious damage to the pavement, and the previous vibration is not over, and the next vibration is superimposed. The superposition of vibrations causes the body to dangle around, swinging left and right like a ping-pong ball, and the sense of luxury disappears.

e: The NS1's grip on steering response is just right, with the front pointing lightly, but it will never look "thief". The test vehicle used 50% flat ratio comfort tires, doomed to fail to provide the performance car's "hot knife cut butter" thrill, the central response retained a hint of laziness. However, when you try to hit the direction at a very fast hand speed, the chassis is flexible. Overall, the e:NS1 strikes a good balance between sportiness and comfort.

◆ Brake test

Honda e: NS1 braking performance can be described as stunning, 100-0km/h braking distance is only 34.78m, peak acceleration reached -1.382g. After 10 consecutive sets of brake tests, e:NS1 did not show significant thermal attenuation, and the last few sets of results can still reach about 37m. During full braking, the body has a certain pitch, and the pitch rate is faster - anti-dive is indeed not McPherson's strength.

◆ Winding pile test

The curb weight of the Honda e:NS1 long-endurance version is close to 1.7 tons (1692kg of the test model), coupled with the front-drive architecture, it is inevitable that people will have "pusher" concerns. The good news is that the power battery in the center of the chassis balances the counterweights and the front/rear axle load ratio is a relatively ideal 56:44. In the pile winding test, the e:NS1 inflection bend is more positive, and there is no need to deliberately leave ahead of schedule. The rear stability is also satisfactory, the sliding amplitude is restrained, and the sliding process is gradual.

e: The difficulty of getting started on the NS1 is very low, and the driver who is in contact with the pile for the first time can quickly find the rhythm and get out of the beautiful line. To be sure, the e:NS1's chassis balance and controllability reach a high level. But it should also be admitted that the e:NS1 is still a significant gap from the performance car. If the steering response is faster and the rear of the car is more agile, its handling performance will be taken to a higher level.

◆ Noise test

Remember the old Honda who "shouted over the air"? Entering the era of pure electricity, the memory of poor sound insulation is gone. e:NS1 has targeted enhanced chassis sound insulation, and the sound of gravel tapping the wheel arch lining has a somewhat heavy feeling, no longer appearing thin. I thought that the angular A-master was a wind noise maker, but the actual performance was surprising. Within 80km/h of speed, there is no significant wind noise near the A-pillar, B-pillar and mirrors. The motor noise is moderate, but the tone is slightly sharp and there is a slight harshness.

Judging from the measured results, the idle noise, 60km/h driving noise and 80km/h driving noise of e:NS1 entered the recommended value range of Aika, and only 120km/h driving noise exceeded the recommended value. Combining the noise test data and subjective noise perception, the sound insulation and noise reduction performance of e:NS1 has reached the mid-range level of the same price.

Editor's comments: From fuel oil to pure electricity, Honda has successfully inherited the brand DNA, which makes old friends feel incomparably familiar. e: The NS1 has no novel design, no thunderous power, but makes driving fun approachable and integrated into everyday driving. What was once a longboard is still a longboard today. As for the short board, e:NS1 strives to change itself, creating a more refined interior, a smarter machine, and a quieter cabin. For consumers who focus on mechanical quality, electric Honda may be a better Honda. Abandon prejudice and embrace the future, and the results are not bad.