An international panel of automobile experts has named the Honda Urban EV Concept as ‘The Best Concept Car’ in the renowned 2018 Car Design Award honours, presented as part of the Turin Motor Show, writes Trish Whelan.
The Car Design Award finalists and winners are selected and judged by a jury comprised of 12 automotive journalists from the world’s most prestigious publications.
The Honda Urban EV Concept was named as a finalist in April this year and was subsequently chosen as the overall concept car winner against nine other vehicle designs.
Honda revealed the Urban EV Concept at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show. The concept sets the direction for Honda’s first battery electric for Europe which will be introduced during late 2019.
Low and wide proportions present a sporty stance while the styling incorporates slim A-pillars and a wide windscreen that appears to sweep around the entire front end of the cabin. Entry and exit is via rear-hinged coach doors. At the front, interactive multilingual messages can be displayed between the headlights including greetings, advice for other drivers on the road, or charging status updates.
The interior has natural materials and an open-plan cabin with front and rear bench seating. A ‘floating’ dash incorporates a wrap-around screen that runs behind the console and extends into the doors.
Honda was the first winner of the Car Design Award with its design for the third-generation Civic. Order books for the production model of the Honda Urban EV Concept will open in early 2019 and the first European deliveries are set to start towards the end of that year. This will be the first production model in Honda’s ‘Electric Vision’ strategy.
