Within Kei segment, Honda N-Box Joy rivals Suzuki Spacia Gear and Hustler Tough Wild, Daihatsu Tanto FunCross, and Mitsubishi Delica Mini
Appeal for adventure-oriented Kei cars seems to be growing in Japan. More OEMs are exploring this segment and coming up with unique designs and Honda has just unveiled their N-Box Joy with a few distinct design elements and can be turned into a small camper on wheels that you can take to most places as it gets 4WD as well.
Honda N-Box Joy MPV
N-Box Joy is a quirky MPV with a tiny footprint. Currently in its 3rd Generation, Honda N-Box measures 3,395 mm in length, 1,475 mm in width, up to 1,815 mm in height and has a large 2,520 mm long wheelbase. This makes it about the same size as Maruti WagonR on sale in India. As the name suggests, it looks like a box on wheels and gets vast space on the inside.
Honda N-Box Joy MPV was just launched for JPY 1,844,700, which roughly translates to around Rs 10.7 lakh. The main rivals are Suzuki Spacia Gear, Suzuki Hustler Tough Wild, Daihatsu Tanto FunCross, and Mitsubishi Delica Mini.
Joy-specific elements
After launching the 3rd Gen N-Box last year, Honda has just introduced Joy version of N-Box with unique design trims. For starters, N-Box Joy gets a dedicated bumper with a black grill. There are more body claddings on Joy version and it gets retro-style wheels too, for that rugged appeal.
Prospective buyers can explore accessories to personalise their N-Box Joy like auxiliary LEDs on bumper, decals, roof rack, spoiler and wheels options. On the inside, N-Box Joy gets dedicated water-repellant upholstery and flat-folding rear seats to liberate enough space for a small bed area as well.
N-Box Joy is camper-friendly too, allowing buyers to incorporate elements like hooks, nets, awnings, foldable tables and chairs for a proper camping setup. Sliding doors allow for easy ingress and egress. Apart from these, rest of the cabin remains identical to that of regular N-Box, including the same 9-inch infotainment screen.
What does it get?
Under the bonnet, Honda N-Box Joy comes with either a naturally-aspirated or turbocharged 658cc 3-cylinder engine. Former has 58 bhp and the latter has 64 bhp, both mated to a CVT gearbox. Honda offers both 2WD and 4WD options with N-Box Joy, unlocking more versatility of this Kei car.
While 90% of vehicles marketed as an SUV in India get FWD layout, things are different in Japan. Here, tiny Kei cars with tiny engines also get 4WD capability, making them more capable when going off the road. Many of these vehicles are lifestyle-oriented too. From Honda, N-Box is such vehicle, especially in the new Joy version.
