Honda is “starting from the beginning” with its next generation of EVs. As the automaker readies for a battery-powered future, two new electric concepts make their debut at CES 2024 in Las Vegas offering a preview of Honda’s new design language and engineering philosophy.
The first of the two concepts is the unimaginatively named Saloon. This is the concept from the teaser we saw back in December, and the final product looks just as edgy as we expected. A wedge-shaped front gives way to a fastback-styled rear with two rectangular lighting elements at each end. The LED signatures up front surround a new/retro “H” logo (which will be used exclusively for EVs), while rectangular taillights wrap around an updated Honda wordmark in the rear.
The cabin opts for a minimalist aesthetic with a single screen spanning the width of the dash a la Mercedes-Benz Hyperscreen and a yoke-style wheel controlling a steer-by-wire system. The sport bucket seats are form-fitting for sporty driving and have two curved screens on the seatbacks, while all of the materials – inside and out – are sustainably sourced. Honda says that a production car based on the Saloon concept will be available in North America in 2026.
The Space-Hub minivan concept looks neat, but Honda doesn’t say anything about it going into production (as far as we know). It was developed as a way to “augment people’s daily lives,” says Honda, with a hugely spacious cabin and tons of visibility. If we’re optimistic, it could spawn a new design language for the next Odyssey minivan. But that’s just speculation.
These two concepts mark the first vehicles in the new Honda “0 Series” philosophy, which will consist of the angular design language you see here and new engineering practices for electric vehicles. It will also include new in-car technologies like artificial intelligence and more advanced safety equipment.
