Honda Motor Co. designed the Jade minivan with the extended Chinese family in mind, appealing to the preference for space to carry relatives. The automaker is pitching the same car to Japanese consumers with a twist.
Sales of the 1.5-liter engine Jade begin tomorrow in Japan, with a starting price of ¥2.72 million. Instead of emphasizing the people carrier's third-row seats to accommodate nannies and grandparents, Honda will market the flexible fold-down space for camping equipment or golf clubs, and equip the car with the anti-collision technology and hybrid powertrain found in its best-selling Fit and Vezel models.
Honda joins General Motors Co. and Volkswagen AG among automakers adapting vehicles first sold in China, the world's largest auto market, for other destinations. The trend stands in contrast to the practice of modifying U.S., European or Japanese models for other markets, a reflection of China's increasing importance to carmakers for global sales.