The Honda N-Field is, based on French consultancy Inovev, the best-selling Kei automotive in Japan.
These are very small automobiles that drive on the general public roads in Japan, not golf car-like items that you simply see in locations like Palm Springs.
So what’s the dimension of a Kei automotive?
The N-Field is 133.7 inches lengthy, 58.1 inches extensive, 70.5 inches excessive, and has a 99.2-inch wheelbase.
As these numbers are nebulous, know {that a} Honda Civic in a driveway close to you is 184 inches lengthy, 70.9 inches extensive, 55.7 inches excessive, and has a 107.7-inch wheelbase.
And know these numbers, too:
A Ford F-150 SuperCrew with a 5.5-foot mattress is 231.7 inches lengthy, 79.9 inches extensive, 77.2 inches excessive, and has a 145.5-inch wheelbase.
Whereas these comparisons may appear absurd, it’s value noting that through the first three quarters of 2025 Kei automobiles had 32 p.c of the automotive market in Japan.
32 p.c of the automotive market.
Inovev describes them as “a cornerstone of Japanese mobility tradition,” including, “Their enduring attraction lies of their practicality, compact dimensions, and concrete suitability.”
The subject of Kei automobiles is of curiosity to the French agency as a result of (1) the European Fee is significantly contemplating the event of small automobiles for that market, the “E-car,” which is Economical (and never essentially electrical) and (2) the Japan Mobility Present (beforehand often called the “Tokyo Motor Present”) begins this week and can characteristic a number of Kei automobiles: Mitsubishi Delica Mini, Mitsubishi eK House, Nissan Roox, Suzuki Imaginative and prescient e-Sky (EV idea), Suzuki mini industrial automobile (EV idea), Suzuki Xbee, Suzuki Spacia, BYD Kei Automotive (EV idea).
In late June on the Aspen Concept Competition, Ford CEO Jim Farley stated:
“The very first thing we now have to do is admittedly put all of our capital towards smaller, extra reasonably priced EVs. That’s the responsibility cycle that we’ve now discovered that actually matches. These huge, enormous, monumental EVs, they’re by no means going to earn money. The battery is $50,000. . . . The batteries won’t ever be reasonably priced.”
Then in early August he introduced the “Ford Common EV Platform.”
In line with his remark in Colorado, the platform is “smaller” not small: the primary product might be a midsize four-door electrical pickup.
The Ford Ranger is a midsize pickup.
To return to the N-Field, that automobile is 133.7 inches lengthy in contrast with the Ranger’s 211.8 inches; it’s 58.1 inches extensive, in contrast with the Ranger’s 79.8 inches; it’s 71.5 inches excessive, in comparison with the Ranger’s 75.8 inches; and the N-Field has a 99.2-inch wheelbase in contrast with the Ranger’s 128.7 inches.
There’s small. After which there’s not-so-small.
The argument, in fact, is that American’s don’t like small automobiles.
Within the Ford lineup, the second best-selling automobile that isn’t an F-Collection is the Maverick, which had gross sales of 120,904 items (the Explorer had gross sales of 160,929 throughout the identical interval).
In comparison with the N-Field the Maverick is giant (199.2 inches lengthy, 72.6 inches extensive, 68.7 inches excessive, and with a 121.1-inch wheelbase).
In comparison with the Ranger—and particularly the F-Collection, which is gigantic—the Maverick is smaller.
And the argument about Individuals not liking small automobiles, if we return to the Civic, by way of Q3 there have been 185,225 bought within the U.S., which is a quantity that claims “like” to me, however once more, there’s a dimension problem:
The Civic is 4 ft longer than an N-Field.
So it’s merely smallish.
One other argument is that automobile producers can earn more money on huge automobiles.
As Farley factors out, this may increasingly not maintain for large electrical automobiles, so this might merely make the manufacturing of massive ICE automobiles extra prevalent.
By the third quarter of 2025—with the third quarter seeing an enormous bounce in EV gross sales as customers wished to get that $7,500 tax credit score—EVs represented 10.5 p.c of the U.S. market.
Which makes me take into consideration that 32 p.c of the Japanese market that Kei automobiles have.
An issue, in fact, is that within the U.S. there are some 17 million F-Collection vans in operation—in addition to a complete lot extra Silverados and Rams, Expeditions and Suburbans, too.
I lately spent every week driving a Mazda MX-5 Miata (154.1 inches lengthy, 68.3 inches extensive, 48.6 inches excessive, and with a 90.9-inch wheelbase) and I have to admit that I used to be aware of what the potential penalties might have been had I stalled it at a lightweight (it had a guide transmission) once I seemed within the overview mirror and noticed solely a portion of that F-Collection grille. However word that the N-Field is considerably greater than the MX-5, and it has an extended wheelbase. Individuals who personal Miatas love them, as I’m certain is the case with N-Field homeowners.
Many individuals I do know are excited concerning the prospect of the Slate, a compact truck that has a minimalist design and is smaller than even the Maverick (174.6 inches lengthy, 70.6 inches extensive, 69.3 inches excessive, and with a 108.9-inch wheelbase). Nonetheless greater than the N-Field, however had been you to be driving an N-Field, and also you encountered a Slate, you wouldn’t really feel as if you had been within the neighborhood of the Unimaginable Hulk.
Sure, sure, small automobiles don’t make it within the U.S. Even Honda pulled the plug on the Slot in 2020 (though it’s out there in different world markets).
However with intelligent execution and intelligent advertising and marketing I’m pretty assured that there may very well be a use case made for a extremely environment friendly city automobile within the U.S. market—particularly if this can be a really reasonably priced automobile, ICE or EV.
As issues now exist on U.S. roads, Kei automobiles are too small for consolation. We noticed the not-so-good gross sales performances of the good Fortwo and the Scion iQ.
However let’s say that folks notice that going to the grocery retailer or dropping the youngsters off at college or different each day errands doesn’t necessitate taking the Yukon, that one thing smaller but extremely space-efficient is a greater various. Let’s additional say that this isn’t just some individuals, however a quantity that isn’t prone to attain that proportion present in Japan, however not less than sufficiently giant. Consequently there wouldn’t be the sensation that one may very well be crushed like a bug by what in any other case look like behemoths on the market.
Will this occur? Unlikely.
Might this occur? Actually.
In some way Individuals had been satisfied that they required giant, all-wheel or four-wheel-drive automobiles regardless that the median household dimension within the U.S., based on the U.S. Census Bureau, is 3.13 individuals, and greater than a 3rd of the inhabitants stay in areas the place there may be little or no snowfall, and the probability of them wanting or needing to drive the place roads don’t take them is small (about 10 p.c go off-road by selection, and this may increasingly happen simply yearly).
On condition that auto firms spend some $30 billion a 12 months on promoting and advertising and marketing, a few of that cash might undoubtedly persuade those who smaller is best.
It’s generally the case that an EV is a household’s second automotive, with a truck or SUV being the opposite one.
Isn’t it conceivable {that a} Kei automotive might serve that secondary operate?
(Don’t maintain your breath.)
Lengthy-time automotive journalist Gary Vasilash is co-host of “Autoline After Hours” and is a North American Automotive, Truck & Utility of the 12 months juror. He’s additionally a contributor to Wards Auto and a juror for its 10 Finest Interiors UX and 10 Finest Engines & Propulsion Techniques awards. He has written for a lot of retailers, starting from Composites Expertise to Automotive and Driver.
The TTAC Creators Collection tells tales and amplifies creators from all corners of the automotive world, together with tradition, dealerships, collections, modified builds and extra.
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[Image: Honda]
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