Drowning in Displays: The Overdesigned Interior of the New Honda GT
In the ever-evolving race among global automakers to redefine the future of mobility, Honda has stepped forward with the new GT model under its Ye Series of electric vehicles. On paper, and from the outside, the Honda GT is an impressive contender. With a sleek, coupe-inspired design, a sporty stance, and well-balanced proportions, the vehicle immediately captures attention. It's a clear departure from Honda’s more utilitarian roots and signals the brand's ambition to play among the bold, futuristic designs dominating China's premium EV segment. However, the shine of its polished exterior begins to fade the moment you step inside. Here, instead of intuitive innovation or minimalist elegance, you’re met with an onslaught of digital clutter. Honda, it seems, has tried to pack the future into the GT’s cabin—but in doing so, it’s delivered something closer to a screen-filled fever dream than a harmonious driving experience.
The Ye Series Grows with a Stylish Newcomer
The GT is Honda’s latest entrant in the Ye Series, a lineup specifically crafted for the rapidly growing and fiercely competitive Chinese electric vehicle market. The series began with the S7 and P7, both of which received positive attention for offering strong performance and appealing design. With the GT, Honda introduces a sportier silhouette, trading upright practicality for a fastback roofline and more dramatic proportions. The new GT is available in two forms: one produced by the Dongfeng Honda joint venture, and another from GAC Honda. While they share most design elements and components, subtle differences in bumpers, lighting signatures, and badges help distinguish the two. Regardless of trim, both cars look convincingly premium and bring a breath of fresh air to Honda’s design portfolio. Even the logo gets an update, moving away from the familiar rectangle to something more streamlined and modern, reinforcing the GT’s role as a flagship. The GT’s overall styling is arguably among the best of any Honda product in years—it's aggressive without being overstated, and futuristic without veering into cartoonish excess.
Strong Specs Backed by a Capable EV Platform
Beneath the sheet metal, the GT rides on Honda’s e:N Architecture W, a new EV platform engineered to offer flexibility between rear- and all-wheel drive configurations. This platform underpins not only the GT but also its Ye siblings. In single-motor guise, the GT offers a healthy 268 horsepower—enough to deliver brisk acceleration and keep up with urban demands. Step up to the dual-motor all-wheel-drive version, and output increases dramatically to 469 horsepower, placing it within striking distance of performance-focused EVs from both international and Chinese rivals. Power is supplied by an 89.8-kWh lithium-ion battery sourced from CATL, a heavyweight in battery tech. Range is a critical selling point in China’s vast market, and here the GT impresses on paper: up to 650 kilometers (around 404 miles) on a full charge for the RWD version, and about 620 kilometers (385 miles) for the AWD. Granted, these figures are based on the CLTC cycle, known for being more optimistic than the WLTP or EPA standards, but they still represent competitive range capabilities for this segment. Honda is clearly serious about competing in China’s EV wars—not just as a safe choice, but as an innovator.
Where It All Falls Apart: The Interior
But for all the engineering prowess and design finesse on the outside, the inside of the Honda GT feels like a miscalculation. As you settle into the driver's seat, the abundance of screens becomes apparent almost instantly. It’s not just a high-tech cabin—it’s a digital saturation zone. Six individual displays are crammed into the front seating area, each clamoring for your attention. In theory, such an approach could streamline functions, reduce dashboard clutter, and showcase cutting-edge innovation. In reality, it creates a user experience that feels convoluted, fragmented, and exhausting. One has to wonder whether anyone at Honda actually sat down and drove this car under real-world conditions before greenlighting the final layout. The result is a cabin that prioritizes spectacle over substance—a strange departure from Honda’s typical design discipline.
The Double-Layered Driver Display Setup
The driver’s view is dominated by two stacked screens: one in the conventional cluster location behind the steering wheel, and another positioned higher up on the dash, closer to the windshield. While the lower screen provides standard driving information such as speed, battery status, and safety alerts, the upper screen appears to function as a sort of pseudo head-up display. Rather than projecting information onto the windshield, Honda opted to place a dedicated screen in a similar line of sight. This could theoretically reduce eye movement, but in practice, it adds visual complexity. The dual-display approach ends up duplicating functions more than it enhances them, potentially causing more confusion than clarity—especially in high-speed driving or emergency situations.
Too Many Centers of Command
As your eyes move toward the center stack, the situation doesn't improve. A horizontal central infotainment display serves as the brain of the car, managing everything from navigation to vehicle settings. But just below it is a second, vertically oriented screen nestled beside the gear selector. This screen appears to handle climate control and secondary functions—things like seat ventilation, ambient lighting, and perhaps drive modes. The logic behind this separation is unclear. Instead of simplifying the experience, Honda forces drivers to interact with two separate interfaces to manage basic tasks. It’s inefficient, and worse, it introduces unnecessary distractions. Add to that the learning curve required to remember which function lives on which screen, and you’ve got a recipe for frustration. Even something as simple as adjusting cabin temperature could require multiple taps across different panels.
The Passenger Screen: Form Without Function
Perhaps the most puzzling element of the GT’s interior tech suite is the passenger-side screen. In theory, it’s designed to entertain or empower the front-seat passenger. In execution, it looks like a last-minute afterthought—a tablet-shaped display with thick bezels and no visual integration into the dashboard’s architecture. Its presence is more jarring than helpful, raising questions about what problem it was trying to solve. Does it mirror the main screen? Offer streaming options? Control navigation? The answers remain unclear, and unless it’s hiding a revolutionary piece of software, it’s hard to see how this screen adds meaningful value. It’s more likely to go unused—wasted space in an otherwise premium-feeling interior.
Side Mirror Screens: Clever but Risky
Completing the visual overload are the side-view camera displays mounted where traditional mirrors would normally reside. Instead of glass mirrors, the GT uses exterior cameras that feed video into door-mounted screens. This is not a new idea—several luxury EVs have adopted similar systems—but it remains controversial. In clear conditions, the resolution and wide-angle views can offer better situational awareness than mirrors. However, these systems can become liabilities in rain, fog, or snow. There’s also the ergonomic problem: drivers are trained to glance at mirrors via peripheral vision. Relearning that behavior for screens positioned lower or closer to the body is not only inconvenient—it could be dangerous in critical moments.
Too Much of a Good Thing
In total, the GT’s screen-based interface represents a case study in how too much of a good thing can quickly turn bad. Screens are not inherently problematic. When implemented thoughtfully, they streamline and enhance the driving experience. Tesla proved this with the Model 3, and other automakers have found success with central touchscreens that prioritize usability. The issue with the GT is not the presence of screens, but their excess and redundancy. With six separate displays, each with overlapping or fragmented functions, the cabin becomes less a driver-focused space and more a technological obstacle course. Instead of reducing distraction, it increases it. Instead of guiding the driver’s attention, it divides it.
Lost in the Tech Arms Race
What’s frustrating is that Honda, a brand long admired for its usability and simplicity, has allowed itself to be swept into the tech arms race with little apparent regard for human factors or design restraint. In the quest to match or outdo Chinese tech-forward brands like Nio or XPeng, Honda has compromised one of its greatest strengths: ergonomic clarity. Other carmakers are beginning to realize that a balance must be struck. Volkswagen has backtracked on its all-touch interface strategy after customer complaints. BMW and Mercedes are reintegrating physical controls for critical functions. Even Tesla is gradually introducing tactile stalks and buttons back into its newer models. Honda’s decision to go all-in on a screen-heavy design in the GT feels like a step in the wrong direction at the wrong time.
A Missed Opportunity in an Otherwise Strong EV
What makes this all the more disappointing is that the Honda GT is, at its core, a good car. It has the platform, performance, range, and design to stand tall among EV rivals in China. Its bold styling and robust specs position it well in a crowded market. But the interior—this nerve center of interaction—undermines the entire experience. Technology should serve the driver, not overwhelm them. With the GT, Honda has created a digital experience that lacks cohesion, grace, and common sense. It's not futuristic—it’s frantic.
