April 24: Honda - little kei cars

Around here "little" means small, maybe even tiny. In Japan kei means small and definitely tiny. It also defines a type of vehicle that they have sold over there for years. These kei vehicles have found a home on that crowded island. Since they take up so little space, they are exempt from one having to prove that the buyer has a parking space before being able to take delivery. They also have certain tax advantages (move there to find out).

Good ol' Honda leads the way with a whole line of these microscopic vehicles, called the N Range. Four vehicles with a fifth on the way, the first was called the N-One (strange but true, folks)..........

Sporty enough to appeal to anyone with a desire to own a three cylinder 63 HP mini rocket. Heck, it even has paddle shifters. Maybe overstating it's road rocket appeal? But a good starting point for those who lust after a Civic, but ain't got no parking spot.

More of a family oriented buyer, but the Odyssey is bigger than your entire property? Then Honda's N-Box is exactly what you need.........

Big in a very small way, but with a style all its own, this one has kei written all over it. A nice choice, but although you need the space, those swoopy suv's tear at your heart strings, so what better way to massage your ego, than with the N-Box Slash........

A step above its more mundane and totally square brethren. Matching interior? It goes without saying, of course. Your family will be proud.

Choices. Honda's world is all about choices, so if their loyal clientele don't see anything in these three that suits their needs, then there is one more choice. The fourth member of the current N Range is the N-Wgn. Now what could that be? I mean, when you have a very small box, how many ways can you reconfigure it?

See the differences? Look harder. This little Honda has the very popular styling trend of the so-called floating roof line. Viva the difference! But check out that interior. Roomy or is it just my imagination?

Make it a stretch limo anyone?

Now, just when you wondered how the N Range could get any broader, what does Honda tease the populace with? Can you say, N-Van? I thought you could.

There's that unmistakeable N profile, but the interior is where this little fella shines......

Load her up, we're moving. Room for everything you own and a bit from your friend's place.

So, friends, what's next from Honda's N Range. A convertible? A sportscar? A pick-up? The mind explodes with possibilities. But one thing is for certain, we will never see any of these tiny, little kei cars in our local Honda showroom. Why? Because we have lots of parking spaces.

Until next time.......