Japan’s top-selling vehicle gets a makeover for 2024

The best-selling car in Japan – a pint-sized hatchback so small it can almost fit between the front and rear wheels of a Ford Ranger dual-cab ute – has been given its biggest makeover in six years.

Whereas Australia’s two best-selling new vehicles are two-tonne utes, the Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux, the Honda N-Box – a tiny hatchback half a metre shorter than a Toyota Yaris – was the country's top seller in 2020 and 2022, and now there is a new model.

As a member of the keijidōsha or ‘light automobile’ vehicle class, the N-Box is required to follow a strict set of rules that govern dimensions, engine capacity and performance to tie in with 'kei car' regulations that offer owners reduced taxes and ownership costs.

Looking unlike anything available in Honda showrooms in Australia, the new N-Box has a boxy and upright stance typical of kei cars, designed to maximise available interior space for a car that must be less than 3.4 metres long, 1.48m wide, and 2.0m tall.

The third-generation N-Box continues a strong family resemblance seen on its predecessor, with a choice of circular daytime running lights and body-coloured grille on the regular N-Box, or additional LED elements, horizontal lighting signatures, and a black and chrome grille on the N-Box Custom.

Inside, the N-Box adopts a 7.0-inch TFT digital instrument cluster and 9.0-inch touchscreen display, while the dashboard features storage shelving, cup holders, and repositioned air vents to increase practicality.

Front-seat occupants share a split bench seat with a fold-down armrest, while in the rear the two individual rear seats with armrests can individually slide and fold in a number of ways to cater to passengers or cargo.

Rear-seat access is via dual sliding doors, with power-opening on some trim grades and window blinds to lessen the impact of the massive glasshouse. Rear tray tables are also available.

Despite the tall body, the largest wheels available measure 15 inches across – compared to 14-inch wheels as standard – with a range of wheel covers and alloy wheel designs available.

Honda Japan has yet to reveal full features and specifications, aside from the range-wide inclusion of Honda Sensing safety systems including adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking, evasive steering with pedestrian detection, forward and reverse accidental acceleration prevention, and traffic sign recognition.

While comprehensive size and engine specifications are to be revealed, the new Honda N-Box is expected to stick to revised versions of the outgoing model’s 658cc, 43kW non-turbo and 47kW turbocharged engines, linked to a continuously-variable automatic transmission with either front- or all-wheel drive.

Chances of seeing the N-Box in Australia remain slim, with no Japanese brands offering their kei models in Australia – though Mitsubishi has expressed interest in bringing the electric eK X here – and Honda Australia choosing to focus on larger, more profitable vehicle segments.

The Honda Jazz city hatch – which is half a metre longer than the N-Box, well exceeding kei car rules – was discontinued in Australia in 2020.

The N-Box reported 202,197 sales in Japan in 2022, outselling the second-placed Toyota Yaris by a significant margin (with 168,557 sales) and ahead of the Toyota Corolla (131,548), Nissan Note (110,113) and Toyota Roomy (109,236).

By comparison Australia's top-seller in 2022 was the Toyota HiLux with 64,391 sales, in a new-car market where 1,081,429 vehicles were reported as sold in Australia last year – compared to 4,201,321 full-year sales in Japan.