Honda Ye EV lineup introduced in China – P7, S7 and GT Concept, RWD and AWD, launching end-2024

It’s safe to say that Honda has been left behind in the electric vehicle stakes, but the company is in the midst of staging a comeback. Early this year, it announced a new 0 (Zero) series of EVs for the global market, but for China, the Japanese carmaker is instead developing a new range of electric models called Ye.

Not to be confused with the rapper formerly known as Kanye West, the new Ye (Mandarin for “shine brilliantly”) sub-brand will make its debut at Auto China in Beijing next week, initially consisting of the P7 and S7 SUVs as well as the GT Concept sedan.

All three cars look to be far more production-ready than the 0 Space Hub and Saloon concepts – not surprising, given that the P7 and S7 are due to go on sale at the end of the year. Both crossovers appear to be almost identical, featuring a wraparound windscreen design, sloping rear windscreen and thick D-pillars that bring to mind the China-only Avancier and UR-V.

The differences lie in the front and rear treatments, in particular the full-width head- and taillights – the P7 has conventional C-shaped items, while the S7 has distinctive X and H graphics at the front and rear respectively. We can safely assume that each model will be built and sold exclusively through Honda’s two local joint venture companies, these being GAC Honda and Dongfeng Honda.

Common to both models are features first seen on the Honda e, such as flush pop-out door handles and side-view cameras. They also feature the new Honda branding that debuted on the 0 series, consisting of the borderless old-style H logo at the front and the spaced-out Honda script at the back; the Honda branding also features on the front doors. Unlike previous Honda EVs, the charging ports are located on the front fenders, rather than on the front.

Inside, the P7 and S7 continue the template set by the HR-V-based e:N1, equipped with a large portrait-format touchscreen in the middle and a widescreen digital instrument display in front of the driver. Unlike on the e:N1, the instrument screen is positioned higher up the dashboard near the driver’s line of sight, necessitating the fitment of a flattened steering wheel with the Honda script.

Other features include an AI-based voice control system and an illuminated dash and door cards that will light up based on certain functions. No mechanical details as yet, but it’s been confirmed that the P7 and S7 will be offered in rear- and all-wheel-drive forms.

The GT Concept, meanwhile, previews a new sedan that will go on sale by the end of 2025. This low-slung four door features a far sportier design, with the same X-shaped head- and taillight graphic as the S7, deep fender air vents, a Formula 1-style rear fog light and what appears to be a split rear windscreen – similar to the old CR-Z and Insight.

But it’s on the inside that Honda has truly gone wild, with lots of red trim, an almost yoke-style steering wheel and no less than six screens, including one on the centre console (including what appears to be a touch-based gear selector) and another for the front passenger. Honda says this provides an “immersive space similar to a private theatre.” An R button on the steering wheel, similar to the centre console button on the Civic Type R, suggests there will eventually be a Type R version – interesting to say the least.

Honda says that it plans to introduce six Ye models by 2027, and when combined with the e:NP1 and e:NS1 (the Chinese-market versions of the e:N1), the company will have launched ten EVs in China by then. No idea what the two missing models are, but the company aims to become an EV-only brand in the Middle Kingdom by 2035.

GALLERY: Honda Ye P7

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