The Honda 0 Series EV Prototypes At CES Don’t Look Much Like A Honda And This May Be A Good Thing

While this seems like a strange position to take after lamenting that Jaguar's EV prototype looked nothing like a Jaguar, Honda and Jaguar are fundamentally different car companies. Like Jaguar, Honda started as a motorcycle company (which made Motorcycles), while Jaguar initially built motorcycle-side cars. Jaguar started with sports cars and was known as a performance brand; Honda began more practically with affordable small cars (I bought one of the first Honda Civics)—Honda isn't known for performance but for practicality.

EVs fundamentally differ from gas cars and can use different design languages favoring their propulsion approaches. The Honda designs look appropriate for a modern EV driver (cars are due out in 2026). 

The Honda O Series Sedan

This is one of the cleanest designs I've ever seen, with lots of glass and an exotic look that would get people to stop and ask about the car. I expect it would pull people in to see the car if it were in a showroom. It has an unusually long front overhang for an electric car, so I'd be worried about approaching steep roads, driveways, and high-speed bumps. The interior room is very spacious, as it should be, and it appears to have a massive Fronk and a decent-sized trunk, which could be handy on trips.

The headlights have an interesting retractable cover, but it seems an unnecessary option, given they are already flush with the hood.

The interior design is immaculate, modern, and forward-looking. It features high-quality finishes, cabin-wide screens, and a yoke steering wheel similar to high-end Tesla S sedans.

The Honda O Series SUV

The SUV uses similar design language, but its short front and rear overhang and massive wheel travel suggest strong off-road capabilities. The rear of the SUV is strange-looking, but it may be uniquely practical (we'll wait until we can review it). However, the back end is less attractive to my eye than the front.

Like the Sedan, the interior is immaculate but gives more of an SUV vibe than the Sedan's sportier fitment, which is appropriate for a different design. The tires and wheels look small for an SUV of this size.

The trunk appears almost Van-like, which could be incredibly useful, depending on how flat the back sets become when folded.

Technology And Performance

Both cars will be capable of Level 3 autonomous driving, which means hands-free driving on Freeways. The range is low for a 2026 car, at 300 miles, but that is my suggested floor for any new EV, so these cars make it over the minimum (not great for what will be EV showcase cars). While both cars look very quick, Acura is more of a performance brand than Honda, and the electric motors Honda has been using aren't potent, suggesting both vehicles could be underpowered, given that both cars' physical designs seem focused on performance. I expect that we'll be surprised to learn that Honda has developed or sourced more powerful engines.

Wrapping Up:h

While both cars may look too much like the recent Polestar cars, their designs are clean. If nothing else, they'll be strong draws to dealerships.

The Level 3 autonomous driving capability will also help these cars stand out. My only visual concern is the size of the wheels and tires, which seem too small. The performance of these cars is not yet known, but given Honda's history, I expect it will be more than adequate. Honda is known for its high quality, and I fondly remember my old Honda Civic. If these cars are done right, I could again consider the Honda brand for my next EV. (Though I think these would be better under the Acura brand). 

Rob Enderle is a technology analyst at Torque News who covers automotive technology and battery development. You can learn more about Rob on Wikipedia and follow his articles on Forbes, X, and LinkedIn.