Honda Super-ONE Review: This Honda Made Me Feel 20 Again

My first car was a Perodua Kelisa. It wasn't fast, expensive and certainly wasn't glamorous. But it was honest, cheeky and impossibly fun; it taught me that outright horsepower has very little to do with how much a car can make you smile. That little Malaysian hatchback also sparked a lifelong affection for small cars (sure, the biggest car I've owned since was an SG-generation Subaru Forester, but that's another story for another day)…

And for one glorious weekend, I was reminded why compact cars occupy such a special corner of this enthusiast's heart.

Forget the performance figures for a moment. Just forget the range and price. The Super-ONE simply has this infectious ability to make you grin, whether you're sitting behind the wheel or merely walking past it in a car park. In a world where every new EV seems determined to look like an anonymous aerodynamic blob, Honda has built something with genuine character.

The Inside Story

At just 3,589 mm long, 1,573 mm wide, 1,616 mm tall and riding on a 2,520 mm wheelbase, the Super-ONE is undoubtedly compact.

In Singapore, where public carparks seem to shrink every year, that's an underrated luxury.

The cabin follows the same philosophy. It isn't trying to overwhelm you with massive touchscreens or gimmicks. Instead, everything is laid out logically: The controls are intuitive, visibility is excellent, and the entire cockpit feels welcoming rather than intimidating.

The 29.6 kWh lithium-ion battery sits neatly beneath the floor without compromising cabin space, while the upright design allows the interior to feel airier than its tiny footprint suggests.

Honda's famous packaging brilliance is present too. Minimal 162-litres boot aside, the rear seats fold almost like the Jazz's celebrated Magic Seats, allowing taller items to stand upright instead of lying awkwardly across the cabin.

But not everything deserves applause though. While the heavily bolstered bucket seats hug you beautifully through corners, drivers on the… err… broader side may find them a little too enthusiastic.

And then there's the curious upholstery decision - the front seats are finished in cloth, while the rear bench gets leather wrapping. Yes, it looks unusual; more importantly, it feels inconsistent. When you're asking someone to sign on the dotted line for a S$200,000 compact EV in Singapore, these little details matters.

One pleasant surprise, however, is the BOSE eight-speaker premium sound system. In a cabin this small, it fills the interior with impressive richness and conveniently masks the road and wind noise that inevitably creeps in once you're cruising at expressway speeds.

Driving It

Underneath, the Super-ONE isn't trying to win drag races. Clearly.

In its normal driving modes, the front-mounted electric motor produces 47 kW and 162 Nm, fed by that modest 29.6 kWh battery.

Then you press the purple BOOST button - everything changes. Power jumps to 70 kW (94 bhp).

But BOOST isn't merely about extra shove. Honda also activates a simulated seven-speed gearbox, complete with paddle-operated "gearshifts", while the Active Sound Control pipes a synthetic engine soundtrack into the cabin. The dashboard illumination even changes colour to tell you something mischievous is about to happen.

Yes, you know it's fake, and you damn well know the noises aren't real; you also know the "gear changes" don't actually exist. And yet... you don't care.

Suzuki Swift Sport owners - particularly anyone who's spent time behind the wheel of a ZC31S like I once did - will understand this perfectly. It's not about outright speed; think driver involvement.

The steering is crisp, the chassis feels wonderfully balanced, and the car eagerly changes direction with an enthusiasm that many heavier EVs simply cannot replicate. Somehow, Honda has managed to disguise the usual electric-car heft. Instead, the Super-ONE darts from corner to corner with the playful energy of a terrier chasing a tennis ball.

I found myself giggling like a secondary school boy who'd just received his first BMX (excuse the age-specific reference).

Beneath its playful personality, the Super-ONE hasn't forgotten today’s fundamentals - Honda has equipped it with a comprehensive suite of driver assistance systems, including Adaptive Cruise Control with Low Speed Follow, Collision Mitigation Braking System, Lane Keeping Assist System, Road Departure Mitigation with Lane Departure Warning, and Lead Car Departure Notification.

Combined with six airbags and Vehicle Stability Assist, the Super-ONE feels every bit as modern and safety-conscious as any contemporary Honda. It's perhaps not the sort of equipment you'll be showing off to your friends, true, but knowing it's quietly working away in the background certainly makes living with the car that little bit more reassuring.

Range Wise

Then we need to talk about the range. Honda quotes approximately 205 km on the WLTP cycle.

However in the real world, less than 200 km.

Come on, man... That's objectively below average in today's EV landscape. Over one weekend, I clocked close to 300 km, which naturally meant charging it twice: The first session, from 34% to 90%, cost me under $12. The second, from 16% to 95%, came to slightly over $20.

But honestly? That's a tiny price to pay for the amount of laughter this little Honda delivered.

In fact, I spent an entire weekend driving absolutely nowhere in particular, simply because I wanted another excuse to be behind its wheel.

One particularly memorable moment involved sprinting down an almost deserted Orchard Road at around three in the morning, windows down, BOOST mode engaged and fake engine noises bouncing around the cabin.

It sounds ridiculous, and it absolutely was. Still, was also one of the most enjoyable drives I've had in years. The last time I felt something similar, strangely enough, was in my old Kelisa. There's something magical about threading a small, eager hatchback through the empty heart of Singapore. It's difficult to explain, but if you've experienced it, you'll know exactly what I mean.

In A Nutshell

I was genuinely reluctant to hand the keys back.

The night before returning it, I found myself attacking my calculator, wondering which investment account I could liquidate to somehow justify and help me own one. Colour wise, I’ve even decided to go for the Boost Violet.

Reality, of course, quickly intervened; because the Super-ONE isn't supposed to be your only car.

It's the second car. The daily companion, which you use to commute, run errands, head out for dinner, squeeze into impossible parking lots and simply enjoy driving without needing an excuse. Your other car might be a weekend sports coupe.

It won't suit every buyer. The asking price is ambitious, and the limited driving range demands compromises. But if your priority isn't travelling the furthest on a single charge, but feeling the happiest every time you press the Start button, few EVs currently available in Singapore deliver this much personality.

The Honda Super-ONE reminds us that somewhere along the industry's relentless pursuit of bigger batteries, longer ranges and more screens, we'd almost forgotten something wonderfully simple.

Sometimes, the best car isn't the one that takes you the furthest - it's the one that makes you want to take the long way home.