2019 Jazz EX - Import Vehicle

[langserve]

Is correct to state Japanese domestic market cars have speedometers which can  display speeds of up to  85 mph, and the 85 mph limit of the speedometer display is a Japanese construction and use regulation?

It's not a Japanese import because it talks of miles and has parking sensors and no lane keep and lots of other things.

[Westy36]

@langserve - Very interesting to read about the market and ownership experience there. Thanks for posting.

I read somewhere that the accuracy of the speedo is tested on the shaken. If the calibration is out, its a fail?

The new car market in Japan doesn't sound very eco friendly though. All the co2 of car producition, when you already have a perfectly good car.

What is the used car market like? Are there big independent dealer groups and small traders same as the uk? Or is it pretty much just franchised dealers?

[langserve]

And thank you.

As for the speedo accuracy I don't know if that is part of the test or not. I have never heard of a car failing because of it but that might be because speedos are so good these days.

I completely agree it's an odd and somewhat wasteful market. The second hand market has grown over the years and there are now more large nationwide chains in the market. In the past it was more just local dealers and the manufacturers' dealers. However, the vast majority of cars go to auction, sell at low prices and are shipped off to other countries including the UK at one end of the market and places like Pakistan at the other. The vast majority of people still think it is a bit infra dig to buy a used car.

Used prices at the auctions (and if you are selling) are very low but prices to buy at the dealers are not all that cheap compared to new by the time  shaken, tax, registration and all the other paperwork charges have been counted in. The cars have all allegedly been carefully selected for condition and low mileage (50k kilos absolute max). New car prices are (I think) a lot cheaper than the UK which helps drive sales. My brand new 2019 Mk3 with the higher of the two offered specs cost about 12,000 pounds on the road. I've never bought a new car before in my life but when in Rome ....

[E27006]

A big segment of the Japanese car market are the Kei cars with 660 cc engines, they are very accomplished  vehicles with high levels of equipment such as electrically powererd self opening/closing doors, and self parking electronics
The Honda Nbox is the top selling model

Note the video link , how many internal features of the Nbox are shared with the Jazz

Once you become  attuned to the unusual appearance, you can study the practicality of the car , the ratio of  internal volume vs external  footprint volume of the car is astounding.
 Some Nbox cars have a hidden  shopping trolley or cart secreted in the rear. I often wish Honda would import such cars,  An Nbox would suit my needs.

https://carfromjapan.com/cheap-used-honda-n-box-2020-for-sale-6087a6a52833b8b8c8c45a7f

[langserve]

Yes, Kei or "K" cars dominate the market here. This is because they are light and small so they don't damage the road surfaces nearly as much as normal cars and because they have lower emissions. Hence, road tax is much lower and the cost of insurance/shaken is too. The NBox has been a huge and growing success for Honda because although the engine is so small it is apparently pretty fast. Somehow, a bit like the Jazz really, it looks and feels a bit bigger than it is.

The majority are boxy housewife cars for city use but there are also jeeps, trucks, vans, mini bus style and sports car variants. They weren't allowed on motorways in the past but as they have got faster and better they are now allowed. I wouldn't like to do long distance in them but some, but not many, people do.

Our second car, when we had one, was a Suzuki Wagon R which was the leading Kei car for many years until the NBox took over. I didn't like it at all as it was very gutless and didn't even return good economy compared to my GD1 which although only one step up was at least a proper car and could do far more. Easy to drive and park though of course and that is part of their appeal.

I think the reason they have never taken off anywhere else is that no other government has given the format the tax and insurance breaks that they have here. Probably a mistake because I think they probably did their sums properly and they do cause almost no damage to the roads. The roads here are certainly in far better shape than the UK that's for sure.

[ColinB]

The other issue with kei cars is safety. How do they perform in crash tests? One of the reasons often given for the growth in size of cars cf earlier generations is crashworthiness. Manufacturers need to add crumple zones fore & aft, and reinforcing in the doors, in order to meet the NCAP ratings. All of that adds weight, length, and width. Just looking at the pictures it seems clear that (eg) the N-Box doesn’t have the space for the extra structure. So it’s probably hugely practical and looks very attractive as a simple box to get you around provided you don’t hit anything and no-one hits you, but you really wouldn’t want to be in an accident in one.

[E27006]

The other issue with kei cars is safety. How do they perform in crash tests? One of the reasons often given for the growth in size of cars cf earlier generations is crashworthiness. Manufacturers need to add crumple zones fore & aft, and reinforcing in the doors, in order to meet the NCAP ratings. All of that adds weight, length, and width. Just looking at the pictures it seems clear that (eg) the N-Box doesn’t have the space for the extra structure. So it’s probably hugely practical and looks very attractive as a simple box to get you around provided you don’t hit anything and no-one hits you, but you really wouldn’t want to be in an accident in one.

I believe it will become an economic necessity to do away with large heavy fast / powerful cars, legal speed limits  in towns and cities are being lowered from 30 mph to 20 mph,  the demise of diesel engines is reducing the feasibility  of big vehicles,  in those conditions of low speeds and fewer intimidating vehicles such as SUVs , the limited crash protection of a Kei car becomes less important. We have not made illegal the motorcycle (I am a motorcyclist) the safety record of motorcycles is quite frankly appalling, (no accidents in 45 years though two motorcycle rider deaths in my social circle).

[culzean]

We have not made illegal the motorcycle (I am a motorcyclist) the safety record of motorcycles is quite frankly appalling, (no accidents in 45 years though two motorcycle rider deaths in my social circle).

There are bold motorcycle riders, and there are old motorcycle riders.  There are very few bold riders who get to be old riders....

[embee]

Kei cars can be interesting. This is mine.

[ColinB]

The other issue with kei cars is safety. How do they perform in crash tests? One of the reasons often given for the growth in size of cars cf earlier generations is crashworthiness. Manufacturers need to add crumple zones fore & aft, and reinforcing in the doors, in order to meet the NCAP ratings. All of that adds weight, length, and width. Just looking at the pictures it seems clear that (eg) the N-Box doesn’t have the space for the extra structure. So it’s probably hugely practical and looks very attractive as a simple box to get you around provided you don’t hit anything and no-one hits you, but you really wouldn’t want to be in an accident in one.

I believe it will become an economic necessity to do away with large heavy fast / powerful cars, legal speed limits  in towns and cities are being lowered from 30 mph to 20 mph,  the demise of diesel engines is reducing the feasibility  of big vehicles,  in those conditions of low speeds and fewer intimidating vehicles such as SUVs , the limited crash protection of a Kei car becomes less important. We have not made illegal the motorcycle (I am a motorcyclist) the safety record of motorcycles is quite frankly appalling, (no accidents in 45 years though two motorcycle rider deaths in my social circle).

What I was trying to get at is that the number of people prepared to buy a car with low NCAP rating is probably quite small, so it wouldn’t be worth manufacturers importing them in quantity. And good luck with persuading Jemimah & co to give up their Chelsea Tractors, it’s well known that that is absolutely the only way to transport little Simeon and Cordelia the 200m to school ... despite that being self-evidently unnecessary, expensive, polluting, and anti-social. Logic doesn’t come into that.

The motorcycle analogy isn’t really valid, there’s a different risk vs benefit trade-off for bikes than there is for cars. Bikers accept the risks because they perceive them to be outweighed by the benefits. But if a car buyer is looking for something with four seats, I can’t believe there are many who would be prepared to put their loved ones at risk by accepting the poor crashworthiness of something like an N-Box.

[Westy36]

The benefit of a bike for me, is sub 5 seconds to 60 mph!  All for change out of £3k and an annual comp insurance bill of £98. Oh, and my CBF1000 will exceed 50 mpg with ease. There is no way I could to afford that kind of peformance if it had four wheels. Risky business, but there really is no comparison to the buzz.

Reading about the Japanese car market is fascinating. I have always been interested in K cars. Amazing things. The Suzuki Cappucino, Honda Beat and Daihatsu Copen I think were the only ones we could buy new here from franchised dealers.

good luck with persuading Jemimah & co to give up their Chelsea Tractors, it’s well known that that is absolutely the only way to transport little Simeon and Cordelia the 200m to school ... despite that being self-evidently unnecessary, expensive, polluting, and anti-social. Logic doesn’t come into that.

Amen to that! Spot on.   

[Westy36]

A big segment of the Japanese car market are the Kei cars with 660 cc engines, they are very accomplished  vehicles with high levels of equipment such as electrically powererd self opening/closing doors, and self parking electronics
The Honda Nbox is the top selling model

Note the video link , how many internal features of the Nbox are shared with the Jazz

Once you become  attuned to the unusual appearance, you can study the practicality of the car , the ratio of  internal volume vs external  footprint volume of the car is astounding.
 Some Nbox cars have a hidden  shopping trolley or cart secreted in the rear. I often wish Honda would import such cars,  An Nbox would suit my needs.

https://carfromjapan.com/cheap-used-honda-n-box-2020-for-sale-6087a6a52833b8b8c8c45a7f

Thanks for the link to carfromjapan. Hours of fun to be had looking at the weird and wonderful. 

[Westy36]

OK, I've just found this on the jap autotrader.  Wow! 

https://carfromjapan.com/cheap-used-honda-s660-2016-for-sale-60bab65c1ce59849740743af

https://carfromjapan.com/cheap-used-honda-s660-2016-for-sale-60bc03a36c125e78baa253b1



How cool are they? Awesome!

[Kremmen]

There are often certain models or variants that are not made available everywhere.

I remember when the Civic 10G came out in 2015 all we got was the hatch whilst the US got a very neat looking 2 door coupe. I didn't get the 10G but the coupe may have changed my mind.

[springswood]

Talking of interesting variants I too was browsing carsfromjapan. I might be able to upgrade in a while and have been undecided between a newer Jazz (possibly a hybrid) and an estate with more dog carrying capacity. Then I saw the Fit Hybrid Shuttle...