The Honda Super-ONE was revealed at the 2025 Japan Mobility Show. Photo: Honda Australia.
Honda’s first fully electric vehicle has been approved for Australia, a year after hundreds of small imported EVs found themselves caught in a government-induced mess.
The Honda Super-ONE, unveiled at the Japan Mobility Show 2025, is designed in accordance with the “character of Japan’s famous kei cars” – tiny city vehicles designed for tight streets and subject to lower taxes.
Under Japanese regulations, kei cars are subject to strict size limits: no more than 3.4 metres in length, 1.48 metres in width, and 2.0 metres in height, with engines smaller than 600cc. But while the Super-ONE slightly exceeds these limits – measuring less than 3.6 metres long and 1.6 metres wide – it’s fully electric, and Honda says it will feel similar to drive.
“Complemented by light and direct handling, Honda Super-ONE’s city-car credentials promise a playful drive experience at home negotiating tight city streets,” the company says.
The Super-ONE is expected to have a range of up to 295 km. Photo: Honda Australia.
Australia already has a few kei cars on its roads – including the Jimny, Wagon R and Alto from Suzuki, and the Daihatsu Move.
But up until 2024, thousands more were imported to Australia as “grey imports” under the Specialist and Enthusiast Vehicle Scheme (SEVS).
More than half were EVs that fell under the scheme’s “environmental” criteria, including the Mitsubishi iMiev, Suzuki Hustler, Mitsubishi eK X Space, Daihatsu Taft, and Nissan Sakura. Another was the Honda N-One, the model on which the new Super-ONE is based.
But in April 2024, the Federal Government abruptly suspended many of those approvals after discovering a regulatory oversight.
It turns out that these cars had been approved using Japanese safety rules that allow a lower-speed side-impact crash test (26 km/h) for vehicles under 1.5 metres wide, a concession also recognised by United Nations Regulation 135—but not by Australia’s version, known as ADR 85.
ADR 85 requires the tougher 32 km/h pole-impact test – the same rule that led to the Nissan GT-R and Lexus IS being removed from Australian showrooms three years ago.
“The department recently suspended a number of … approvals for kei cars,” the Department of Infrastructure said at the time.
“The affected Model Reports did not satisfy the requirements of ADR 85 – Pole Side Impact Performance.”
However, by then, many buyers had already paid for vehicles that were still at sea. Some importers were forced to send cars back to Japan at a cost of up to $10,000 per vehicle, while others were told not to sell the affected cars for a set period.
Many kei cars failed to meet Australian Design Rules for the pole-impact test. Photo: ANCAP.
A fortunate few kei cars were fine, due to the angle of the seat to the front wheels, which exempts them from ADR 85. Those already on the road were deemed okay, too, even if they were technically non-compliant.
Either way, Honda Australia says the new Super-ONE won’t face any of this red tape.
Unlike the suspended kei cars, which third-party importers import, the Super-ONE will be officially imported by Honda Australia, ensuring full compliance with local standards.
They’re also chasing a minimum four-star safety rating from ANCAP.
The car is set to go on sale in the second half of 2026, alongside the Civic, Accord, HR-V, CR-V, ZR-V, and the just-announced new Prelude in Honda’s lineup.
It also marks Honda’s first locally available EV – with the exception of a handful of second-hand Honda-e city cars previously imported by IonDNA, a Fyshwick-based EV specialist that has since pivoted to customer advice.
Honda Australia president and CEO Jay Joseph hopes the Super-ONE will be a hit with local city dwellers.
“Honda Super-ONE is a unique proposition for Australians living and working in dense urban environments,” he said.
“It’s an agile, quiet and playful inner-city EV that’s as fun to drive as it is to own.”
Pricing and specifications are forthcoming. Photo: Honda.
While it won’t win awards for space – offering four seats and a purse-like boot – Honda says it will deliver “an exciting drive”, thanks to a Boost Mode that simulates engine noise and gear shifts for a sportier feel.
There’s no official word on range yet, but based on its Japanese sibling, the N-One, it’s expected to offer up to 295 km on a single charge.
Honda will spend the coming months testing the car for Australian conditions – including its ride, handling, and safety systems – to ensure it performs “optimally in congested Australian CBDs”.
Pricing and full specifications will be announced closer to launch.
