Frankfurt Motor Show - Rather than style its future electric vehicle like some far-fetched prop from a Will Smith blockbuster movie, Honda has instead turned to the past.
The Urban EV Concept takes its simplistic cues from the first generation 1972 Civic hatchback, with a pint-sized three-door body that’s 100mm shorter than a current Honda Jazz. The retro theme carries on inside with front and rear bench seats upholstered in basic grey cloth, while wood finishes are used on the dashboard, seat squabs and armrests.
But there are splashes of tomorrow’s tech incorporated tastefully throughout - the front and rear Honda emblems glow with blue backlighting, a giant colour display extends the full width of the dash, and instead of side mirrors there are screens in the door panels to offer views of what’s behind. The doors themselves are hinged at the back, suicide style.
Honda has offered no detail on performance, range or drivetrain specs, but says a production version of the electric car will be on sale in Europe in 2019.