Making A Case: JDM cars that could make sense in the US.

"carcrasher88" (carcrasher88) 01/24/2017 at 11:00 • Filed to: Japan, Honda Shuttle, Toyota Sienta

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Everyone knows that even though Japan is an island nation, the car market is rather big, with the country’s major manufacturers offering a much wider variety of cars than what’s usually offered here.

I’ve spent a lot of time looking through them and feel that I have found a pair of models offered there that could work here, if done right.

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For those who don’t know, the Shuttle is a subcompact wagon based directly on Honda’s Fit. In fact, in it’s first generation, it was called the Fit Shuttle, before having Fit dropped from the name with the introduction of the second generation model in 2015.

The Shuttle is powered by a 1.5 liter I4, in either regular or Hybrid form, and also offered with four wheel drive.

I look at the Shuttle and can see it being a more versatile option that could slot right between the Fit and Civic, and the hybrid could take a shot directly at Toyota’s Prius C.

Comparing physical specifications of the three, the Shuttle has a 99.6 inch wheelbase (.8 shorter than the Prius C, 6.7 shorter than the UK built Civic hatchback), an overall length of 173.2 inches (15.9 inches longer than the Prius C, 4.7 inches shorter than the Civic hatchback), a width of 66.7 inches (same width as the Prius C, 4.1 inches narrower than the Civic hatchback), and a varying height of 60.8 or 61.8 inches (the higher height likely being 4wd) (3.9-4.9 taller then Prius C, 4.5-5.5 taller than the Civic hatchback).

If offered in gas and hybrid forms, the Shuttle can be both a Prius C competitor and a great alternative to the HR-V (which is also based on the Fit), but even if offered only as a Hybrid, it would...

A. Be a great Prius C competitor, while offering more cargo space and similar interior space

B. A great alternative to the HR-V

C. If offered with 4wd, give Honda something that neither Toyota or Subaru have (In the case of Toyota, a four-wheel-drive hybrid smaller than the Rav4. In the case of Subaru, a hybrid smaller than the Crosstrek.)

D. Help bolster the wagon market in the US even further, joining the VW Golf Sportwagen, Audi Allroad, Subaru Outback, Mercedes-Benz E-Class, and Volvo V90.

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Yes, the name is literally one letter away from Sienna. Yes, there was a compact MPV sold in the US before that didn’t sell that well, the Mazda5.

But I don’t see Sienta aiming in the direction the 5 went, rather, I see it aiming at a compact van that’s been attracting a surprising number of customers...the Ford Transit Connect Wagon.

Sienta’s dimensions can actually be considered competitive to the Transit Connect.

Wheelbase: Sienta - 108.3 inches, Transit Connect SWB - 104.8 inches, Transit Connect LWB - 120.6 inches

Overall length: Sienta - 166.7 inches, Transit Connect SWB - 173.9 inches, Transit Connect LWB - 189.7 inches

Width: Sienta - 66.7 inches, Transit Connect - 72.2 inches

Height: Sienta - 65.9 inches (FWD) - 66.7 (AWD), Transit Connect SWB - 72.6 inches, Transit Connect LWB - 72 inches

Obviously, the LWB Transit Connect has an advantage in wheelbase, but the Sienta actually has the SWB TC beat there.

The Sienta is also easier to park than both, with the shorter overall length and narrower width.

The likely main reason the Sienta is shorter than the TC on height is because the TC was primarily built as a commercial vehicle, adapted as a passenger van.

Sienta has a couple tricks up it’s sleeve to get an upper hand on the Transit Connect:

1. It’s available with all-wheel-drive, which isn’t offered on the TC, or even on it’s competitors, like the Metris, ProMaster City, or NV200/City Express.

2. It comes standard as a 6 seater, as opposed to the standard 5 of the TC (though, a 5 seater is available on the Sienta in a handicap accessible version), while both are offered with seating for 7.

3. It’s also offered in a Hybrid variant, powered by the same 1.5 liter 1NZ-FXE found in the US market Prius c, meaning the hybrid would likely easily pass US emissions regulations. (The standard 2NR-FKE isn’t offered in the US, as far as I know, but the 1NZ-FE in the AWD models is found in the US market Yaris, so it would also likely pass emissions regulations).

Both the Shuttle and Sienta would also bring two more models to the market that aren’t simply bland appliances (looking at you, Toyota Corolla), and would also help stimulate hybrid sales by offering two more types of cars with an available hybrid option.

404 - User No Longer Available > carcrasher88 01/24/2017 at 11:10

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Since the US love their CUVs, if only Toyota would’ve made the Harrier the global RAV4 instead of that hideous POS we have now. This one is actually stylish with a hint of Saab and Subaru in the looks.

And before anyone tries to correct me, no, this is completely unrelated to the Camry platform based RX. Harrier became a compact SUV on the RAV4 platform.

carcrasher88 > 404 - User No Longer Available 01/24/2017 at 11:21

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Well, this model with the Harrier nameplate actually replaced the Vanguard, which was the Japanese version of the LWB Rav4 that was sold here.

The Rav4 we have here replaced the shorter version, which remained available in Japan until May of last year, with no direct replacement.

The wheelbase of the current Rav4 and the Harrier are the same, but the overall size difference would mean it would more likely fit in as either a slightly more upscale alternative to the Rav4 or in between it and the Highlander.

not for canada - australian in disguise > carcrasher88 01/24/2017 at 11:26

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Personally, I’d say the Honda Stepwgn

It fills in a rather large gap between small MPVs like the Prius V, C-Max, Rondo, and B-Class while being smaller than a big minivan like an Odyssey or Sienna. The only real alternative I can think of currently on sale is the Transit Connect Wagon, and that’s a full on van. The best part though is that underneath, it’s just a Honda Civic. So theoretically it shouldn’t be THAT hard to swap in Type-R bits. And you get the 1.5 turbo motor that the regular Civic has from stock.

The interior is extremely nice too.

interstate366, now In The Industry > carcrasher88 01/24/2017 at 11:50

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The Honda Jade. Basically the Shuttle version of the Civic.

carcrasher88 > interstate366, now In The Industry 01/24/2017 at 12:02

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True, but based on the previous generation Civic. Would probably need a redesign to be more suited to the US market, since we’ve already moved to the tenth generation.

The name would probably be the only thing keeping it from saturating the Civic lineup, which already has 3 bodystyles.

On the other hand, Honda could put Fit back at the front of the Shuttle name, since the Fit is only offered as a hatchback.

Maybe the Grace as well, the sedan version of the Fit.

carcrasher88 > not for canada - australian in disguise 01/24/2017 at 12:18

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So, basically...similar to the idea I had with the Sienta? I’m all for that.

We need more compact vans, the commercial-based market has been growing, so these non-commercial based ones would make great alternatives.

I just wonder how the market would react to the name Stepwgn...

Ruso98 > carcrasher88 02/16/2017 at 18:23

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https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsj01CiqwgznKfK6q6zJezg