Honda has said that it will open order books for a production version of it retro-styled ‘Urban EV Concept’ electric vehicle from early 2019, with sales planned in Europe by the end of that year.

Speaking during Honda’s 2018 Geneva motor show press conference, Senior Vice President, Honda Motor Europe, Philip Ross confirmed the news. “A production version of this highly acclaimed concept will be introduced to Europe during late 2019,” he said. “And in response to the positive feedback to this model, we expect to open order banks for the Urban EV during early 2019.”

The Urban EV Concept previews Honda’s first mass-produced battery electric vehicle sold in Europe. The concept features a simple, retro design (reminiscent of the VW Golf first generation).

Honda says four occupants can be accommodated in comfort across the concept car’s two bench seats, which are finished in different materials to ‘create the ambience of a lounge’. The front row is upholstered with a natural grey fabric and embellished with contemporary wood finish accents. The dashboard features a wrap-around screen that extends into the doors. The dashboard display presents a range of vehicle information, while the extended door screens function as the car’s side mirrors through digital camera displays.

See also: Time to end the era of homogeneous design?

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