Honda and its partner companies in China will display the first three models in their new “Ye” series of electric cars and crossovers later this month at the Beijing motor show — Auto China 2024. The array includes a sleek, low-slung sedan due to come to market by the end of next year.
An additional three models are expected to complete the Ye Series, and all six are expected to enter the Chinese market by 2027. The new Ye P7 and Ye S7 models are scheduled to go on sale at the end of 2024.
Both SUVs will sit on a newly developed dedicated EV platform and will be available in two variations – a one-motor rear-wheel-drive model and a two-motor four-wheel-drive model. Both variations are designed in pursuit of the “joy of driving,” Honda says.
Honda claims the RWD variants will offer “sporty and crisp handling,” while the 4WD vehicles will up performance and have slightly more responsive handling. Cockpit details are few so far, but the cabins are to be fitted with an LED instrument panel and door panels “that change in conjunction with the AI-powered assistance and other functions.”
Honda says that the third model just announced, the Ye GT Concept sedan, indicates future design considerations for their EV plans in China. In keeping with its “low & wide” silhouette, the driver’s seat “is designed to immerse the driver in the driving experience, much like a race driver,” according to the company. The dynamic performance has been “thoroughly refined to provide the ultimate driving experience in which the driver enjoys a sense of unity with the vehicle.” But Honda has not detailed any powertrain specs as yet.
The company has said that the Ye products will reflect its “M/M” (Man Maximum, Machine Minimum) design ideas, “which call for maximizing the space available for people and minimizing the space required for mechanical components to increase the efficiency of the space inside the vehicle.”
The new series was named with the Chinese character “烨” which means “shine brilliantly,” and all will wear the new, white-colored “H mark” logo designated for Honda’s next-generation EVs.
Honda is currently offering the e:N Series of electrics in China, and is also selling the Honda e:Ny1 in the United Kingdom, where it’s priced at a hefty $59,000.