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2018 Honda N-Box Is An Unapologetically Boxy Kei Car

Priced from ¥1,385,640, the next-generation N-Box has the weight of the world on its shoulders. Not only is it the most popular kei car in Japan for the second year straight, but the Daihatsu Tanto, Nissan Days, and Suzuki Alto are slowly but steadily catching up according to the most recent sales figures. For all that, the N-Box doesn’t have any reason to be panicky of its rivals.
2018 Honda N-Box 21 photos
Photo: Honda
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Other than the fact it’s more spacious than ever before and comes with plenty more equipment as standard, the N-Box soldiers on with great value as its biggest selling point. On sale in two design flavors, the most obvious update from a visual standpoint is the refreshed grille and revised headlights. Opt for the Custom model, and cool-looking LEDs replace the projector lamps.

Riding on an all-new platform, the kei car is available in nine solid exterior color options and four two-tone paint jobs. The Custom ups the ante with an even more expansive color palette. Stepping inside, customers of the regular N-Box are greeted by a beige interior with contrasting gray trim on the dashboard and door cards. Thanks to a thinner tailgate and better packaging for the 660-cc engine, spaciousness is superior to the previous model.

Available in two- and all-wheel-drive, two engine options are listed for the N-Box. The first is of the naturally aspirated variety, producing 58 PS (57 horsepower) and 65 Nm (48 pound-feet). The turbocharged variant is more compelling, but don’t expect hair-raising performance from this fellow.

Regardless of engine, the N-Box sends the goodies to the driven wheels with the help of a continuously variable transmission. On the safety front, the N-Box is the first kei car from Honda to adopt the Sensing suite of driver-assisting technologies. Road departure mitigation, collision mitigation braking, auto high beams, traffic sign recognition, and adaptive cruise control all come as standard, which is genuinely very considering the size of the N-Box.

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About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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