Honda readies ZEST minicar
Honda announced that its ZEST minicar, what appears to be a Scion xB fighter on a slightly smaller scale, will go on sale in Japan on March 1. The little box's claim to fame is the low-floor platform technology, which results in lots of interior room given its diminutive size, along with a low tailgate. Like the aformentioned xB and similar vehicles, the car will likely become a success story with handicapped consumers: a wheelchair accessible model goes on sale starting March 17.
Honda’s i-DSI engine or i-DSI turbocharged engine mated to a four-speed transmisison will haul it through the streets of Japan by its front two wheels. The company is also bragging that some models put out 75-percent less emissions than legally requirement in Japan at the moment.
(Thanks to ebm14 for the tip)
[Source: WorldCarFans.com]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Jason 2:18PM (2/23/2006)
Argh, my eyes!
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djSyndrome 2:41PM (2/23/2006)
"what appears to be a Scion xB fighter on a slightly smaller scale,"
No. The Zest is a 'Kei' car, and is nowhere near as large or as powerful as an xB. They are in entirely different demographics and tax brackets. It's most direct competition comes from Suzuki, who produces several other Keicars.
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Noah 2:51PM (2/23/2006)
Correct me if I'm wrong but how can it be an xB fighter if the xB is only sold in the USA and this will only be sold in Japan?
--Noah
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JW 2:54PM (2/23/2006)
Whats the deal with all the ugly cars lately?
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klaatu 3:01PM (2/23/2006)
Jason, just so you know the "why" of "the look", Kei cars have absolute "dimension" limits set forth by the Japanese government (and engine displacement - no more than 660cc's). Of course, these cars are usually (if not always) automatic transmission or CVT, have full equipment as "normal" sized cars (to our eyes), can be had with all wheel drive, they often have turbochargers, etc. etc., and they get GREAT mileage.
Perfect (ahem) for Japan, or for that matter, a lot of cities anywhere in the world. Plus they seat 4, not 2 as the Smart ForTwo (though I'd surely it'd be hilarious to see four "corn-fed" Americans try to get into one..... maybe that's a sign some of us should lose some weight?!)
Kind of like when a friend of a friend (an ex-football player, about 300 pounds and 6-foot 4 tall) tried getting into my buddy's antique microcar BMW Isetta? We got the (front of car) door shut and it looked like squeezing a jello filled balloon into a tin-can - there was "Charlie" sticking out from open windows on the side and his face/beard mashed up against the door/windshield. Yeah, it was friggin' hilarious..... it took 15 minutes to get him the hell out, as well.....
Sorry, got sidetracked there.... not all Kei cars are sedans, though. Toyota's Daihatsu build the Copen, a cute little 2 seat retractible hardtop-convertible.
Take a peek.
http://www.globalautoindex.com/bodies.plt?no=1492&ass=&g=Daihatsu-Copen
Click on the photo to enlarge it. (No jokes, now...)
Yeah, I'd have one instead of a motorcycle - just for summertime weekened tooling around and fun (which currently is done with an antique Corvair convertible - but with the bad drivers now even in rural areas here in Michigan, I'm selling it in the spring and getting something with air bags). Maybe a Subaru SVX???
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Optimus Prime 3:03PM (2/23/2006)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keicar
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RayRay 3:06PM (2/23/2006)
Wow, if some was to label the xB more powerful, then I can't imagine how slow this car would be. I hope they get rid of the antenna and shrink the wheel gap.
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overtorqued 3:10PM (2/23/2006)
Wonder how much it weighs. And are thosee 12" wheels? Someone should put a quarter next to it. I need some sense of proportion. :)
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Doogs 3:27PM (2/23/2006)
The country club called. They want their golf cart back.
And there's a message from Home Depot, too. Something about purple spray paint...
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Proud Japanese 7:11PM (2/23/2006)
When will the americans stop being so ignorant and realize that the foreign markets are different to their domestic market, where all cars need to be supersized just to haul your supersized obese asses around to the nearest McDonalds.
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JSmith 7:12PM (2/23/2006)
#3 The scion xB is sold in Japan but it's called the Toyota bB. I do understand where you are coming from because it still doesn't make sense.
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JSmith 12:22AM (2/24/2006)
#10 When will the Japanese men stop hanging around the school yards waiting to ask the next school girl if she would like a new cell phone. I bet you have a few contract girls don't you.
Why do every time a walk into a Lawsons' there is some pervert standing at the magazine rack fliping through a porn mag.
What about the vending machines where you can get soiled panties. Or the shops where you can get school girl panties.
What about the "Hikikomori" kids.
Oh and lets not forget about the total lack of insulation is the wall of homes here, I wonder why that is?????
How about the mob run Pachinko parlors.
This place has some very dark, sick and perverted ways of life and I could name MANY more.
So stop with the bashing the Americans because the Japanese have a shit ton of problems.
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kevin 3:21AM (2/24/2006)
#12 lets just keep the comments about the car culture because I also have a list of American "problems"
-lots of people(american) are too fat(this is going to get ugly when the fat kids and fat people gets old and sick with a alphabit soup of disease. major stress on medical system and finally callapse of the whole system)
-people who are too extreme with religion and against new ideas
-40 year old guys going to chat room to have sex with children
-high school that have dangerous caferteria and student that can't read when they are 16 year old.
there are more, these are just examples.
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rex 6:23AM (2/24/2006)
Are you sure about it being turbocharged?? Honda haven't produced a turbo since the City turbo way back in 1982.
But then again, they recently produced their first diesel engine so who knows??
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klaatu 8:15AM (2/24/2006)
Yeah, it has a turbo available. 660cc can only go "so far" in producing adequate power without one, even with dual overhead cams, four valves per cylinder, variable valve timing, fuel injection and so forth. Come on, guys! We're talking 660cc's here, not in a motorcycle, but in a car which can haul 4 people! All wheel drive is also available, if you notice. (With all wheel drive, the emissions are a tad higher, though). Probably just that extra mechanical drag of the continual all wheel drive system (?)
Without high tech and a turbo, you've essentially got a Citroen 2CV or Dyane (I owned a Dyane once). 602cc, 29 hp, top speed 80 mph (EVENTUALLY and unless we hit a 1% uphill grade, at which time I was lucky to maintain 65). Zero to 60 was "um, well, eventually..."
As for the Japan and America bashing, well, know what gang? We all live in a fallen world, none of us are perfect. This does not excuse what used to be called sin before the PC days came about, but it is a fact of life.
If you do not like it, then you can go in essentially two directions. Spritual maturity, where you realize that you are also very imperfect and that a perfect God wishes to save you through the Way (to the foot of the cross where all mankind hung up the only perfect man who ever walked the earth - so that He could die in our stead, if we accept this fact, and Him), or spiritual immaturity where you want "princes" (government) to "fix" what everyone else is doing wrong (but by golly, "don't touch MY fig leaf!").
Either you realize you're part of the problem and desire true spiritual repair, or you're just making the problem worse by taking up space on planet earth temporarily.
You don't have to believe what I've written. But if I'm right, then a lot of people will be saved from eternity in a very unpleasant place, and if I'm wrong, then people of the true Way have done their level best to do good, and overcome evil in themselves and also do good in the world "one person at a time". How shall you know us? By our actions.
Remember, we of the Way are not perfect, just forgiven - but that it's our responsibility to be thankful for Jesus' being the sacrificial lamb for humanity's sin (including ours), therefore true followers do good works - it is not the good works which save, but it an evidence of where our faith is. There are few of us, but we are here, like salt and light, in a dying world.
By the way congratulations to Japan for one of your own winning Gold last evening in figure skating. Kudos. The US got Silver and Russia, Bronze, it seems.
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Car-la 8:51AM (2/24/2006)
Very ugly. I understand that Japan has a space problem, but I don't like these boxes nonetheless.
Wouldn't it be nice if someone came up with something of this size that looked good?
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Proud Japanese 8:59AM (2/24/2006)
I hate to be the one to tell you but Jesus never existed. Religion is just an excuse to claim moral high ground while still contradicting yourself.
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J 12:43PM (2/24/2006)
I've come to realize that hell is reading this back and forth some of the people post on Autoblog.
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