Honda S7 Unveiled as China-Only EV SUV with 650 KM Range

The China-only Honda S7 EV SUV crossover breaks cover with up to 469 HP of power and 650 KM of EV range.

Honda has a new EV SUV model under its wings, and it is called the Honda S7. Borne out of the Japanese automaker's partnership with China’s Dongfeng, the new S7 is the first model to be launched under Honda Ye’s China-only EV series, which was announced back during last year’s Auto China motor show.

Just like its pre-production twin shown prior, the S7 EV SUV gets a pretty futuristic look, featuring the brand’s new design ethos with lots of Y-shaped elements and sharp design cues. Key highlights include the Y-shaped LED headlights and taillights, the coupe SUV-ish bodystyle with a sleek roofline, retractable door handles, digital side-view cameras instead of physical mirrors, standard 19-inch alloy wheels with larger optional 21-inch units, and many more.

Dimension-wise, the S7 spans 4,750 MM long, 1,930 MM wide, 1,625 MM tall, and a wheelbase of 2,930 MM, thus putting it on par with other popular midsize EV SUVs in China, such as the Xpeng G6, Tesla Model Y, and the Deepal S07, to name a few.

The Dongfeng collaboration also sees the S7’s interior featuring a more futuristic and tech-forward design compared to the current crop of ICE-powered Honda models on sale. Up front, drivers will be greeted by a massive 24-inch portrait-oriented infotainment screen, a smaller 9.9-inch LCD instrument cluster, and an expansive 41.9-inch augmented reality head-up display (AR-HUD).

Some other key equipment primed here includes a three-spoke steering wheel, heated and ventilated seats, a wireless charger, an expansive panoramic glass roof, as well as a standard 8-speaker sound system that can be upgraded to a 16-speaker Bose unit featuring built-in speakers inside the front seats’ headrests.

In terms of powertrain, the baseline S7 RWD variant gets a single, rear-mounted electric motor rated at 268 HP (200 kW) and 420 NM. Juice is provided by a sizable 89.8-kWh NMC ternary battery pack that grants it up to 650 KM of range, at least according to the more lenient CLTC standards. Although no exact charging speeds were mentioned, Honda claims the S7 can be juiced to 80% state-of-charge (SOC) in just 36 minutes.

Those seeking more power can opt for the top-spec dual-motor AWD model, which boasts a total system output of 469 HP (350 kW) and 770 NM, allowing a rapid century sprint time of only 4.6 seconds. Using the same NMC pack as the RWD model, the S7 AWD gets a discounted CLTC range of 620 KM, while its charging performance remains unchanged.

In its native China, the all-new Honda S7 is priced at CNY 259,900 (RM158,868) for the baseline RWD model, while the top-spec AWD variant is tagged higher at CNY 309,900 (RM189,431). This put Honda’s swanky new EV SUV on par with some of its Chinese adversaries, while at the same time being slightly cheaper than the ever-popular Tesla Model Y, which retails from CNY 263,500 (RM161,068) onwards.

As indicated during the series initial launch, the new Honda S7, along with its upcoming Honda Ye siblings, will be a market-exclusive product, where its existence beyond the Great Wall border seems very unlikely. With that being said, at least we know that this swanky EV SUV won’t be part of the three EVs Honda Malaysia is planning to launch into our market.