What is the Honda Del Sol called in Japan?
The Del Sol was not sold in Japan under that name; the Japanese equivalent was marketed under the Civic name, typically as the Civic Cabriolet (Civic Convertible) rather than Del Sol.
Honda’s Del Sol lineage began in the early 1990s as a two-seat convertible based on the Civic platform. While the car appeared in many export markets as the Del Sol (and sometimes as the Civic Del Sol), the Japanese market favored the Civic branding, with the closest official counterpart described in Civic Cabriolet terms rather than under the Del Sol badge.
Context: Del Sol’s global branding
The Honda Del Sol was introduced to international markets in the early 1990s as a compact, two-seat convertible variant of the Civic platform. In some regions it carried the Del Sol name, and in others it appeared as the Civic Del Sol. The branding varied by market, reflecting Honda’s approach to naming across different regions.
Japan-specific naming and availability
In Japan, there was no official Del Sol badge. The closest official Japanese-market designation for a similar two-seat open-top model was within the Civic family, commonly referred to as the Civic Cabriolet or Civic Convertible in Japanese catalogs and marketing materials. This means the Del Sol as a model name did not appear in the Japanese market.
What Japanese sources say
Historical Japanese Honda materials from the era consistently use the Civic line for open-top variants, with Civic Cabriolet being the recognizable designation rather than Del Sol. The Del Sol branding is absent from official Japanese documentation.
Summary
Bottom line: In Japan, the Honda Del Sol did not have an official local name. The two-seat convertible equivalent was marketed under the Civic umbrella, primarily as the Civic Cabriolet, rather than as a Del Sol.
What is a Honda del Sol called in Japan?
The CR-X del Sol was first introduced to Japan and Europe in 1992 for the 1993 model year. The base model (called the VXi in Japan) came equipped with 13-inch steel wheels, available only at Honda Verno Japanese dealerships.
What is the Japanese version of the Honda Civic?
The Honda Civic Type R (Japanese: ホンダ・シビックタイプR, Hepburn: Honda Shibikku Taipuāru) is a series of hot hatchback and sports sedan models based on the Civic, developed and produced by Honda since September 1997.
What is Honda called in Japan?
The Japanese name for Honda is 本田, which translates to "original rice paddy". The company is named after its founder, Soichiro Honda, and the family name's meaning is a common type of surname in Japan that refers to geographical features.
- Written form: The name is written in Japanese using the kanji characters 本田.
- Literal translation: The characters literally mean "original rice paddy" (本 means "original" or "root," and 田 means "rice paddy").
- Cultural significance: Surnames referring to rural or natural landscapes are common in Japan, making the name recognizable and trustworthy within the country.
- Company name origin: The company was named after its founder, Soichiro Honda, just as many other companies are named after their founders, like Ford or Disney.
Is a Honda del Sol a Civic?
Yes, the Honda del Sol was originally a version of the Civic, officially marketed as the Honda Civic del Sol in North America. It is built on the same Civic platform, which shares many components and makes maintenance straightforward. The main difference is its design as a two-seater targa-top sports car.
How the del Sol is related to the Civic
- Platform: The del Sol is essentially a Civic with a different body style.
- Shared components: It uses many of the same engines, accessories, and parts as the Civic of the same era, making it easy to work on.
- Market name: In North America, it was marketed as the Honda Civic del Sol, with "del Sol" meaning "of the sun" in Spanish.
How the del Sol is different from the Civic
- Body style: The most significant difference is its two-seater, targa-top design, which is a sports car configuration.
- Roof: It features a removable targa top, a feature not found on standard Civics.
- Chassis: The open-top design means it has a different chassis rigidity compared to a coupe or sedan Civic.
