This is the Honda ZEST K-car, which went on sale in Japan from March 1st 2006 onwards. K-cars are popular in Japan as they provide superior fuel economy and are easy to park too. Engines are limited to 660cc capacity, and manufacturers usually use forced induction to give it a little more oomph, as 660cc in normally aspirated form can only go so far.
The Honda ZEST comes with two engine options. The lower end model has a 660cc SOHC i-DSI normally aspirated making 52 horsepower at 6700rpm and 61Nm of torque at 3800rpm. The higher-end model features a turbocharged 660cc SOHC i-DSI engine making 64 horsepower at 6000rpm and 93Nm of torque at 4000rpm. The turbocharged model features a top-mounted intercooler. Not too bad, as the car weighs 880kg for the lightest 660cc N/A model and 990kg for the turbocharged 4WD model. It’s not meant to be a pocket rocket in the first place.
Honda quotes a few fuel efficiency ratings for each of the ZEST models, as they come in different engine configurations and FF or 4WD drivetrains. The full list including all other specifications is available here, but the most fuel efficient model is the Honda ZEST N-spec which gives you 19km per litre. On the other hand, the Honda ZEST Sports W-spec Turbo which is the turbocharged 4WD model gives you 15.8 km per litre. The same Honda ZEST Sports W-spec Turbo but without the 4WD drivetrain gives you 17.6 km per litre.
The car comes in automatic variants only. The car comes with a 4-speed electronically controlled automatic transmission. I would have expected a CVT gearbox.
For convenience like shopping, the Honda ZEST has a low-floor design, with the rear deck only 5.3cm off the ground. This allows easy loading and unloading of goods. A tall roof combined with wheel arches positioned at the edges of the vehicle as well as a short nose ensures a large cabin space. Maximum storage space is 739 litres with the rear seats folded. The doors open in 3 stages with different angles to ensure easier entry. The wide angle ensures easy installation of a child seat if needed.
After dabbling for years in the IT industry, Paul Tan initially began this site as a general blog covering various topics of personal interest. With an increasing number of readers paying rapt attention to the motoring stories, one thing led to another and the rest, as they say, is history. An avid electronic gadget aficionado as well as big-time coffee lover, he's also the executive producer of the Driven motoring TV programme.
Can beat the kenari?
Paul, Will it landing in bolehland? Or is a never ending story?
hmm… so that does explains why our 660cc kancils on the road are mostly modded one…. lol…
I think this car will defeat all k-car in bolehland if launced here!
looks very much like the Scion xB…. really wish i could get an xB here.. but the Zest would be a real cool alternative…
Reminds me of Juara
someone has to bring this honda here.fast!
660cc with turbo charged, some more 4wd. Its quite an offer. I think we can import this car. CBU mah… but then, any mechanics knows how to service this car. especially 4wd…
personally, i feel daihatsu has better Kei Concept than Honda.
…import it to Boleland…???..wtf for??…if it ever made its way here it will definitely cost a bomb…my be in the range of P1 Waja??…k cars are suppose to be affordable and fuel efficient…the key ward here is affordable…specs and performance in Bolehland is secondary…..
Hmmm….I just met a friend who just graduated from Japan. He told me, Sports car are getting less popular in Japan. There's a new trend, he said. "Driving in boxes". I guess this Honda is what he meant.
like i said before (crower issue).. auto makers will make more small engines with turbo… our 4T engines still ve many rooms for improvement….
19km/l is the jap test value. cannot use it for real world. For real world in japan the estimated achievement is 70% meaning around 13.3km/l.
If used here should be lower so if this car actually gets here i would imagine it's fc is around 60-70% achievement.
Nonetheless the car looks great. Just hope its doesn't cost too much.
wahlaueh…
i think this kind of k-cars in Japan will cost less than RM20k. similar to kancil mah. Cars like kancil are selling less than RM20k in Japan. compare the high earning… the cost of a car….just a piece of bigger cake.
hmmm…
The side profile amazingly looks a bit like the Proton Savvy….
It's amazing how they can make a puny little 660cc engine move a car
Ahhh, so this is what this car is called. I saw one near my place but without the Honda badge… re'packaged' as a WALD if im not mistaken.
Yup… from side.. looks like Savvy
Zest immitate Savvy? that'll be the day lol
ehey this car's pretty cool… for a K-Car, dat's pretty well-equipped, with all d smart features n all
hmmm Honda launch something like that, people praising. Proton launch something like that, then suddenly all people became Chris Bangle… kekke