Honda Super-ONE EV Hatch is here to entertain

The 2025 Honda Super-ONE Prototype, a tiny electric Kei car, has been unveiled at the Tokyo mobility show with some tricks borrowed from the lauded Hyundai IONIQ 5 N’s playbook.

Based on the N-ONE e: revealed earlier in 2025, the Super-ONE aims to prove a Kei car can put a smile on a keen driver’s face.

While exact technical specifications have yet to be confirmed, it seems a safe bet it will mirror the standard N-ONE e:, albeit with sportier toys.

Kei cars are Japan’s smallest class of vehicle, with owners enjoying tax and insurance exemptions as long as the vehicle is smaller than 3400mm long and 1480mm wide and has a maximum power output of 47kW.

Like most Kei cars, the Honda N-ONE e: exploits these dimensions to the full, measuring 3395mm long and 1475mm wide and featuring a 47kW electric motor.

While that might not sound like much, that same electric motor delivers a robust 162Nm, which is plenty given it weighs just 1030kg. Its light weight and small size also allow it to extract a WLTP range of 295km from a tiny 29.3kWh battery.

The wider, sportier tyres of the Super-ONE means it’s unlikely to match that figure, but it will still be one of the more efficient EVs available.

Honda claims Boost Mode, developed specifically for this model, temporarily increases the power output while there an artificial engine noise and simulated seven-speed transmission increase driver involvement – two tricks the Hyundai IONIQ 5 N uses to great effect.

Making a case for Kei cars in Australia has traditionally been difficult; the cost of engineering them to conform to local design rules – combined with their niche appeal – often resulting in a tenuous business proposition.

However, Honda has confirmed the Super-ONE will be released in Japan next year, followed by the UK and Asia respectively which could be taken as a positive sign for an eventual Australian debut.

Join the conversation at our Facebook page
Or email us at editor@carsales.com.au