Honda has officially unveiled its latest 0 Series vehicles at CES. It brought back the 0 Series Saloon in near-production form, as well as a new 0 Series SUV. Honda describes this pair of software-defined electric vehicles as prototypes, meaning they’re further along in the development process than the concepts shown a year ago, and Honda says they’ll both go to market in 2026.
More than just cars, Honda has packed the 0 Series EVs full of technology, including a new A.I.-powered operating system that gets to know you as a person would. They will also feature Level 3 automation, meaning you can take your eyes off the road and let the car do the driving in a variety of situations.
“Saloon Is My Partner”
Honda showed the 0 Series Saloon first, sporting the same design as the concept from last year. Honda said that what we see here is close to production — but it also happens to be very close to the look of the concept car. It still provides that wedge-shaped look and unique lighting that gives it a look that’s almost too futuristic for our time.
Honda likened the 0 Series Saloon to a smartphone, getting more personalized as you use it, thanks to Honda’s new Asimo OS technology. Honda highlighted the “Wise” aspect of its “Thin Light, Wise” ethos behind the 0 Series by showing how the car uses artificial intelligence to learn about the user, provide them with conversation and information, and even comfort them when they’re sad. Honda’s presentation, below, gave some examples of how a user could interact with their car — examples that are either impressive or creepy, depending on your level of comfort with artificial intelligence.
Honda didn’t offer any performance specs or details about the powertrain for its 0 Series models.
A.I.-Powered Hands-Off Driving
Honda plans to include a high level of self-driving capability in the 0 Series vehicles by the late 2020s, including Level 3 automated driving. Stephen Frey, Vice President of Development Operations at Honda, spoke about eyes-off driving, and the importance of A.I. that can recognize and adapt to the world around it as it goes. Honda has partnered with helm.ai in order to bring that depth of intelligence to its cars, and Frey says this technology is powerful enough to drive autonomously on roads the car has never seen before, even if white lines aren’t visible.
Frey gave specific examples of the sorts of unique situations the car could navigate, including left turns in mixed traffic, recognition and avoidance of construction sites, and animals in the road. “It can respond appropriately to irregular situations,” said Frey.
Honda said this advanced driving technology and its A.I. foundations will be powered by a new system-on-chip from its partner Renesas. This SoC will consolidate various vehicle ECUs in order to coordinate the functionality of a number of vehicle systems.
Honda 0 Series SUV Also Coming In 2026
The second prototype Honda brought out was the 0 Series SUV. It’s different than the van-like Space-Hub concept it revealed at CES last year, but builds upon its predecessor with a much more consumer-friendly SUV styling. It will feature the same tech as the Saloon, including the Asimo OS and automated driving system once that becomes available later in the decade.
Honda didn’t give many other details about the SUV, other than to say it would offer more space and seating flexibility for the occupants. Honda says the SUV will be launched globally in the first half of next year, starting with the U.S.
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