Does Honda still make kei cars?
Yes. Honda continues to produce kei cars for the Japanese market, with a current lineup that includes the N-Box, N-WGN, N-One, and N-Van. The company’s kei sports car, the S660, has been retired, marking the end of that niche within Honda’s portfolio. Kei cars remain a core part of Honda’s approach to urban mobility in Japan, combining compact dimensions with practical interior space.
Current Honda kei cars in production
The following models make up Honda’s active kei-car lineup, designed to maximize interior space while meeting kei-class regulations for engine displacement and overall size.
- N-Box – A tall, boxy passenger kei car favored for families and urban use.
- N-WGN – A smaller, more conventional kei car that emphasizes practicality and efficiency.
- N-One – A retro-styled kei car with a more premium feel and urban versatility.
- N-Van – A dedicated kei van based on the N-Box platform, aimed at commercial and small-business use.
These models illustrate Honda’s focus on versatile, compact solutions for city driving, with updates over the years bringing improved safety features and modern conveniences while remaining within kei-class limits.
Past or niche kei offerings
Kei sports car and other limited-run models
Beyond its mainstream kei lineup, Honda briefly pursued niche kei variants, most notably a two-seat sports roadster. The S660 was introduced to appeal to enthusiasts and showcase Honda’s engineering within the kei framework, but its production ended in the early 2020s. Other historic kei models have since been retired as Honda refocused on practical urban transport.
- S660 – Honda’s kei sports car, produced from 2015 and discontinued in the early 2020s, marking the end of that niche within Honda’s kei range.
Even with the retirement of the S660 and other niche offerings, Honda’s kei-car strategy remains anchored in small, efficient, and practical vehicles designed for Japan’s urban environments.
What this means for buyers and the market
For buyers in Japan, Honda’s current kei lineup provides a range of choices that balance interior practicality with compact exterior dimensions and tax/insurance advantages typical of kei cars. The focus remains on family-friendly and commercial-use variants, rather than high-performance kei models, though the brand has historically used the segment to experiment with design and efficiency technologies. International availability of Honda kei cars is limited, as these models are largely tailored to the Japanese domestic market.
Summary
Honda continues to actively manufacture kei cars in Japan, led by the N-Box, N-WGN, N-One, and N-Van. The S660, once Honda’s notable kei sports car, has been retired, illustrating a shift away from niche offerings toward practical, space-efficient vehicles for urban living. Overall, kei cars remain a central pillar of Honda’s domestic strategy, with ongoing updates to safety, efficiency, and usability helping to keep the lineup relevant in a competitive market.
