- Production versions of the 0 Saloon and 0 SUV will be made at Honda’s Ohio-based EV hub, starting in 2026.
- These cars will use an all-new centralized e/e architecture (electrical/electronic) running a new SoC done by Renesas Electronics Corporation.
- Honda also claims that these cars will also be able to do Level 3 autonomous driving.
A year ago, at CES, Honda kicked off the year shocking everyone with a wedge-shaped EV concept that it called the “0-series.” This all-black, twin-gullwing concept car was said to be a preview of Honda’s full self-developed EV efforts, unlike the GM-based Honda Prologue meant to be a stopgap until this car was up and running.
Now, Honda’s back at CES with another iteration of the 0-series Saloon concept, and a new follow-up – called the 0 SUV. It’s not entirely clear how close either car is to its final production body, but we shouldn’t discount how outlandish modern manufacturers can be, especially since they’ve got to compete with increasingly wild Chinese EV designs.
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Both cars are done up in white, but the 0 Saloon appears to have had quite a few changes to make it look a bit more production-ready. To the untrained eye (including my own eye, who glibly insisted to Patrick George that it was just the old car but in white), it really does just look like the concept from a year ago. It’s not; Honda has ditched the gullwing doors for what looks like four traditional doors. The wedge shape, upturned rear end, and 3D rear brake light band are still present, almost unchanged from the concept we’ve seen before. The 0 Saloon still doesn’t have physical mirrors, though, so it’s not clear if that’ll change before production.
Photo by: Honda
Photo by: Honda
Photo by: Honda
The interior, however, has taken a huge jump forward toward what could be a near-production design. The wrap-around seats and cockpit have given way to realistic-looking screens with bezels and consideration for drivers. There’s still a yoke-style steering wheel, but it looks in line with what could be on a production model. According to Honda, these screens will run a custom, self-developed operating system called Asimo OS.
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The 0 SUV might be the more production-ready looking of the two cars Honda has shown us. Like the 0 Saloon, the 0 SUV has an upturned rear end, although the 3D taillight band isn’t here. Instead, we get a bolt-upright rear tailgate with only the smallest amount for rear visibility. Add in the huge D-pillar, and well, don’t expect a hell of a lot of rearward visibility, folks.
Still, the 0 SUV’s proportions look fairly conventional. The 0 Saloon has a nearly noseless super cab-forward design, while the 0 SUV’s long hood wouldn’t feel out of place on a hybrid or gas-powered CR-V. Also, unlike the 0 Saloon, the 0 SUV has cutouts for door handles and a charge port door.
Photo by: Honda
Technologically, these cars are expected to be very advanced. As explained on a prototype drive late last year in Japan, these cars will use a new centralized electrical/electronic (e/e) architecture that combines multiple ECUs, ADAS systems and overall vehicle control modules into one centralized main ECU. To make this possible, Honda announced that it has partnered with Renesas Electronics Corporation to create a new SoC (system on a chip) to make it all work.
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With the announcement of the two new cars, Honda confirmed that both will be made at Ohio’s new EV hub. Do keep in mind that the 0 Saloon is intended to be a flagship that could start at $80,000, while the 0 SUV will likely be cheaper. We’ll have to find out if this is a preview of Honda’s planned entry-level EV crossover or its mid-sized EV crossover, both planned for production in 2026.
Contact the author: kevin.williams@insideevs.com.
