By Steve & Tami Laser
Honda has just announced that a new model will join its lineup in Japan called Jade. While this five-door wagon looks similar to the Jade that Honda sells in China, it will initially be offered only as a Hybrid in Japan. The Chinese market Jade built by Dongfeng Honda has a 1.8-liter 4-cylinder gas engine.
A customized version of Jade will be on display at the 2015 Tokyo Auto Salon from January 9 to 11 at Makuhari Messe in Chiba (near Tokyo). The production model will either be announced or actually go on sale in Japan on February 13.
Jade Hybrid and Hybrid X, with the latter featuring a more upscale interior treatment, looks modern and contemporary. Preliminary materials call the powertrain “i-DCD intelligent Dual Clutch Drive” yet no other details are included in Honda’s brief press release or Honda’s consumer website in Japan.
The Jade’s Hybrid X interior looks like it’s trimmed with bamboo-style inlays that give it an upscale appearance. The design features a high-mounted instrument cluster and prominent center stack display screen while the shift lever appears to be a joystick type of by-wire controller.
The cabin offers three rows of seats with six-passenger capacity. Honda’s press release says that the roof height was kept low so Jade can fit into automated parking structures without worrying about clearance.
Jade’s Honda Sensing safety system is said to offer a wide array of the latest features including Collision Mitigating Braking System, Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Keeping Assistance System and sign recognition.
With Honda’s small HR-V crossover on the way to the U.S. market, it’s unlikely that Jade will be sold here. On the other hand, with its increased cargo and seating capacity, it could target Toyota’s Prius v (called Prius Alpha in Japan).
News source and photos from Honda Motor Co. Ltd.
Story ©2015 CarNichiWa.com