The two-seat Honda S660 kei car has been officially launched in Japan.
As was proven last week when production vehicles were photographed at a Japanese shipyard, the final version of the car doesn’t look dramatically different to the 2013 concept.
Behind the passenger cell is a 660cc turbocharged three-cylinder engine with around 47kW of power and 104Nm of torque. This tiny motor drives the rear wheels via either a six-speed manual or a continuously variable transmission with seven gear steps, which are accessible via paddle shifters behind the steering wheel.
According to Honda, the S660’s weight is distributed 45:55 front-to-rear, while stopping power is provided by 260mm disc brakes. The S660 rides on Yokohama rubber, with 15-inch alloy wheels and 165/55 tyres up front, and 16-inch alloys with 195/45 tyres at the rear.
Instead of a regular hand-operated pull-up/drop-down convertible top, the S660 is equipped with a roll out fabric roof that can be attached between the windscreen frame and roll hoops to provide passengers with protection from the weather. During bouts of open-top motoring, this roll-top is stored in a specially designed space underneath the S660’s bonnet.
Available features in LED headlights, a tablet-style infotainment system, front and side airbags, hill start assistance, stability control, climate control air conditioning, and automated city emergency braking system.
The S660 will go on sale in a few days time, with Honda looking to sell around 800 S660s per month. Only two trim levels are available: the entry-level β at 1.98 million yen ($21,400) and the top-spec α at 2.18 million yen ($23,500).
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