HONDA Mobilio 2001-2004 Photos, engines & full specs

The 2001 Mobilio had a footprint of a full-size pickup bed, but it could still carry up to seven passengers inside and did that with a great fuel-efficiency.

Honda designed the little MPV with the Japanese market in mind. The customers asked for a vehicle easy to drive and park, good in tight parking spots, and safe. Bearing that in mind, the Japanese engineers came up with a vehicle bigger than a kei-car but with a similar cubic design. They pushed the crash-tests procedures far beyond the legal requirements by testing the car in a frontal crash against a two-ton vehicle.

With its tall front fascia and the short hood, the Mobilio didn't look too different than other cars in its category. A pair of sliding doors were installed in the back, and that solved the problems with the tight parking lots.

But there was more about the car inside it than outside. The dual sliding rear doors provided easy access to a center row bench seat to hold three small people. Behind that, a pair of jump seats, which were only suitable for small children, could fold flat against the floor and hide under the center row. The instrument cluster was basic, with three dials. Besides the tachometer and speedometer, the third one featured the fuel and the coolant temp gauges.

Honda offered the Mobilio with a 1.5-liter engine available in two power outputs: a 90 hp and a 110 hp, paired with a 5-speed manual or a CVT. Power went to the front or all four wheels.