Honda 0 Series SUV: Everything We Know
Honda has had an on-again, off-again relationship with electric cars. In the United States, the automaker’s latest efforts resulted in the Honda Prologue and Acura ZDX, the latter of which was discontinued after just one year in production.
Both EVs were made in collaboration with General Motors and used the same platform that underpins the Chevrolet Blazer EV. That’s fine, but Honda wants more now. A lot more. So it’s pouring tens of billions of dollars into a brand-new, bespoke electrical/electronic (e/e) architecture built from the ground up to support software updates, artificial intelligence and the latest advancements in manufacturing technology.
Photo by: InsideEVs
One of the first EVs built on this new platform is called the Honda 0 Series SUV, which will start rolling off the assembly line in Ohio later this year. It’s a wildly styled crossover that’s expected to go head-to-head with industry heavyweights like the Tesla Model Y, Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Cadillac Optiq.
Here's what to expect from the Honda 0 Series SUV, given everything we know about the EV so far.
An all-new platform
Honda’s new EV architecture is based around a three-word mantra: “Thin, Light and Wise”. This means that cars based on this new platform will sit low to the ground, they’ll be lightweight, and they’ll have plenty of processing power.
The batteries, which will be fitted into the floor, will be thin, allowing Honda to reduce the overall height of the vehicles. Thanks to megacasting and new materials, the cars will stay light. As for the “Wise” part, it’s powered by a new software system dubbed Asimo OS.
Photo by: Honda
That’s a legendary name in the robotics industry, and its weight is now being transferred to Honda’s latest software efforts. Using a custom system on a chip (SoC) made in collaboration with Renesas Electronics Corporation, Asimo OS supports a bunch of AI-powered infotainment functions, while opening the floodgates for lidar integration and ultimately Level 3, eyes-off driving assistance. Steer-by-wire, structural battery packs and air suspension are also part of the equation.
The 0 Series platform is said to support 800-volt packs, which should enable the SUV to charge faster than its 400V-based counterparts, like the Tesla Model Y. However, Honda has not made it clear if the first vehicles based on this platform will be 800V or 400V.
Tech goodies
The latest 0 Series SUV prototype had a yoke-style steering wheel, contoured white seats, a huge panoramic roof and a full-width screen as a placeholder for what used to be known as a dashboard. At the rear, designers went for a kammback-like profile, which helps keep the drag coefficient down, but doesn’t do much for visibility. Still, the trunk seems quite cavernous.
Photo by: InsideEVs
An AI-powered assistant is in the cards, powered by the aforementioned SoC and Asimo OS software, but Honda said it will also offer Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. It will be interesting to see how these smartphone mirroring systems will be integrated into the futuristic screen dash.
Power and range
When Kevin Williams went to Japan to test the 0 Series mules, Honda said it would make two variants of its EV e-axle motor: one with 241 horsepower (180 kilowatts) and one with 67 horsepower (50 kW). The latter will presumably be reserved for the front axle on dual-motor models, but Honda will also offer the most powerful drive unit on both axles, making for a 482-hp EV.
The Competition
The automaker has not yet revealed the exterior dimensions of the SUV’s production version, but it’s fair to say that it will be roughly the same size as Tesla’s Model Y. The test mule that Kevin drove in Japan had the body of a CR-V, which is a little shorter and taller than the Model Y. Having said that, the modular platform allows Honda to do pretty much anything in terms of wheelbase and body size, so we’ll see how big the 0 Series SUV ends up being.
Pricing and availability
The production version of the Honda 0 Series SUV will start rolling off the automaker’s Ohio EV hub later this year, after the Acura RSX but before the Honda 0 Series Saloon, which has been delayed to 2027.
The automaker did not give any hints about the model’s price, but did say that it would be more affordable than the 0 Series Saloon, which is positioned as a cheaper alternative to the Tesla Model S.
The SUV could end up costing upwards of $50,000, putting it in line with the non-Standard Tesla Model Y and above the Hyundai Ioniq 5, which is also built in the U.S.
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Source: InsideEVs
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