With so many specifics, Japan is one of the most unique countries in the world, and that even reflects the car market as well. It also comes with a lot of interesting specifics and among them, the Kei class is by far the most interesting one. This is a class of super-small vehicles, which have to meet rigid criteria in terms of size, engine capacity and many other things. You won’t see vehicles like these in other parts of the world and although super-compact, these cars are very practical. Moreover, you can even find a Kei minivan like the 2023 Honda N-BOX, which comes without more important changes compared to the last year’s model.
That’s what everyone expected, considering that the 2022 model received a facelift. We saw a typical mid-cycle refresh, which was mostly about aesthetics. The mechanical aspect of the vehicle is carried in the pretty much same way.
2023 Honda N-BOX Design
So, the 2023 Honda N-BOX continues with a familiar design, which was updated with the last year’s refresh. That update brought a couple of styling enhancements, though the overall design remained the same. The same is with the mechanics, as this tiny minivan features a pretty simple chassis and suspension setup. Still, the ride quality is pretty decent, especially if we consider the wheelbase and overall dimensions.
Once again, the 2023 Honda N-BOX comes with two different stylings. The actual look depends on the engine choice. If you pick the base, naturally-aspirated engine, you get a more conventional styling, with mild lines and a pretty basic body kit. On the other hand, if you pick a turbocharged engine, you get a way more aggressive appearance, with sharper bumpers, a more prominent grille, more attractive wheels etc.
Interior
Kei cars are characterized by tiny dimensions but the 2023 Honda N-BOX is surprisingly spacious and functional, due to its minivan body style. Moreover, the cabin looks quite attractive, with a modern dashboard design, which utilizes nice aesthetics, fine materials and a decent amount of tech and convenience features. It even comes with a reasonably-sized touchscreen and a nicely designed instrument cluster. The list of standard safety features includes goodies like pre-collision assist with pedestrian detection, lane departure warning with lane keeping assist, ultrasonic mis-acceleration mitigation system and road sign assist.
In terms of passenger space, the front seats are quite roomy and accommodate adults pretty easily. It’s also pretty easy to find a good driving position that provides excellent outward visibility. The second row is surprisingly spacious and extremely functional. These seats can slide front and back, they can recline and even tip up and down separately. With such flexibility, it’s always easy to find a perfect balance between passenger and cargo space.
2023 Honda N-BOX Engines
Two engine options are available with the 2023 Honda N-BOX. Base models use a naturally aspirated 658cc three-cylinder engine, which features a max output of 58 horsepower and 65Nm of torque, which seems enough power to move this tiny van with ease.
The optional turbocharged engine features the same displacement but gets a slight power boost to 63 horsepower. Although that’s just a five-horsepower increase, the difference is quite notable in a small vehicle like this. Both engines are paired with a CVT, while you also have a choice between front-wheel and all-wheel drive.
2023 Honda N-BOX Release Date and Price
Honda already introduced the version for 2023. Considering that there were no significant changes, the price also remained pretty much the same. Base models go around 18.000 dollars, roughly.