Apparently it’s going to take one of our North American Cohorts, like nifticus, for me to be introduced to some of the Japanese domestic cars that I’m interested in and have never seen before, as our Japanese correspondent apparently has no love for tall, boxy things like this Honda Mobilio Spike. I’m always on the lookout for what might be a good replacement for my xB, and so far, this one is the one. It’s only some five inches longer and two inches taller than the xB, but has vastly more interior room, thanks to Honda’s space saving technique of putting the gas tank under the front seats as well as a really long wheelbase.
This little box can seat seven or five in limo-like comfort, carry lots of cargo or be converted to a camper van. And given that it’s based on Honda’s Fit/Jazz underpinnings, it’s undoubtedly fun to drive, as far as boxes go.
One of the keys to its phenomenal space efficiency is its long wheelbase, which is a full ten inches longer than the xB. And it has twin sliding doors.
The Spike is a variant of the Mobilio, which has a bit of extra glass in the back because it’s the seven-seater version.
Really.
The Spike is more of a personal “lounge” car, with a giant rear seat and blanked out C Pillars for more privacy.
Here that rear seat, with stretch-limo leg room. It’s got more than my xB, which is one of its best features. How many cars have a decidedly better rear seat than front seat?
And the cargo area with the seat folded is vast, much more than the xB.
Which explains why folks are turning them into mini-campers.
This is one that’s available for rent in New Zealand. Pretty sweet, if traveling solo. Not exactly sure if that’s something I’d use or need, but it’s good to know just in case…
And yes, it’s powered by the same drive train as the Fit/Jazz, with which it’s loosely related. The Mobilio Spike and gen1 Mobilio were built from 2002-2008.
After that, the gen2 Mobilio and related Freed replaced them, and no thanks, not interested. It’s got to be boxy.
As well as my xB worked back when I was caring for Patti, this one would have been incredible. I wouldn’t have had to choose between the wheelchair and walker.
Stretching the car up and out does do some weird things in the aesthetics department, however. The xB totally owns it in the looks department.
The tiny wheels help the space efficiency, too. Why are ours so big, even on light(er) cars?
The Cube, in funky colors, is still my favorite. It’s the car the aliens on the Simpsons would drive.
Strangely proportioned things for sure, there is a raft of similar cars that come from Japan it seems everyone has a box on wheels for export when its clapped out, I guess stretching a Fit/Jazz into this cuts down on their parts requirements and gives this box an adequate powertrain, theres probably a R model like there is with the Jazz/Fit but fun to drive is drawing a long bow a lot of these boxy things are definite road blocks.
I’m not crazy about the looks, but I love everything else about it. There is a little bit of the Element’s vibe about that interior, but with obviously more useful space. I still think I might be more tempted by one of the JDM Odysseys which used the hinged doors, as I am less in need of a pure box.
It is too bad that the newest ones are from 2008 – they are starting to get some age on them. And I presume they are all right hand drive?
Yes, RHD. It’s the oldest ones that count, for the 25 year import exemption. That’ll be in 2027!
I’ve spent a bit of time on some of the importers of 25+ year old JDM cars, and they almost all look to be in very good shape. Most have remarkably low miles on them, and probably garaged. Lots of Japanese buy cars more as toys than for daily use, which is pretty useless in the big city.
That gen 2 Mobilio isn’t *that* bad, sort of like an Odyssey shrunken to a stretched Fit platform. Would’ve sold well in America if they’d left those rocker panel skirts in Rubbermaid gray and added flares to match.
“a good replacement for my xB”
The Ford Transit Connect is excellent. Ford Focus based; drives like a German compact. Available as a work van or passenger wagon. Two sliding doors. Tailgate or barn doors – your choice. Two lengths available. I’ve had mine for 6 years; nephew just bought one. Great for bicycles.
Too big! And thirsty. No thanks.
The Japanese micro-vans are so much more space efficient.
Actually, I DO like it’s looks for its unabashed boxness emphasized by its small wheels.
I day “boxness” (a neologism?) as opposed to “boxiness” because it implies that it is exactly how the car was intended to be.
Comparing the different versions seen in this write-up, it seems the Spike might be more of a “commercial” variant, with storage cabinets where the 1/4 windows would be, and a different hatch door with the taillights recessed in the bumper. Curious as to what the black objects on the roof are, kinda short for roof rack holddowns.
The Spike shown in the first, second, fifth & sixth photos appears to be LHD with a US/Canadian style license plate [can’t make out the state or province], so if they were imported to Canada [which typically has the same EPA and DOT requirements], perhaps they won’t be too difficult to source in LHD, and possible to import into the USA without significant problems.
I mention this because it appears to be a possible “low budget” alternative to wheelchair access vehicles when the center row of seats are removed, and it may be a vehicle that can quickly converted from wheelchair to 7-passenger usage. Back in the 1980s I had a friend who was dependent on a wheelchair. He had an early 1970s Checker with a raised roof, larger right rear door that hinged from the rear, and a fold down “deck” that when unfolded had a flat deck about 40″ square. The deck had a 36″ rotating disc allowing the wheelchair to be rotated 90 or 180 degrees. A pair of ramps could be clipped into the side or front edge of the deck [with recessed channels for the wheels] so the wheelchair could be driven up the ramp from either along side of the car, or 90 degrees to the car. Something similar could be created using this Honda Spike.
In the Japanese brochure, it’s described in terms of multiple functions, other than as a 7-seat MPV like the regular Mobilio. Here’s a snippet fro the introductory press release:
Cargo space: Meets a broad range of stowage requirements
Styling: A distinctive form that owners will love
Cabin: A special space to enjoy alone or with friends
The Mobilio Spike is able to embody these development themes thanks to the Global Small Platform, which features a center tank layout*2 that permits a spacious, low-floor cabin. The styling imparts an air of distinctive presence suggestive of treasured recreational equipment.
This Mobilio Spike shot in BC does have RHD, as there’s another shot of its cabin at the Chort. I’m quite certain these as well as many other Japanese kei-vans and micro-vans were never built in LHD configuration.
The RHD is a bit of a turn-off for me. But I’m seeing more and more 25 year imports from Japan here, so folks get used to it.
I know a guy who has had a couple of RHD Nissans and he said “you get used to it”. The question is how long does it take and how much longer does it take when you switch back and forth with a LHD.
I think the hardest part for me would be shifting with my left hand. I have ridden in a RHD vehicle and that definitely messed with my LHD trained brain.
Folks do get used to it, but they also get in significantly more crashes than in comparable LHD vehicles. That difference might be partly due to immature squirrels and dillweeds playing at Speed Racer on the public highways in their Skyline GTRs or whatever, but it’s largely due to impeded sightlines and other inherent facts of being in a wrong-hand-drive car.
“Curious as to what the black objects on the roof are”
Could they be retractable brackets for something (like a backing mirror) , or part of the tailgate hinge?
I did not even know this thing existed. We didn’t get too many of these boxes here in Austria, I think the most popular (a relative term that) was Daihatsu’s Materia…
The best small box that I know is Mercedes Vaneo (W414). It wasn’t a great success, possibly because it was based on the old W168. I had it for a few weeks and liked it very much. A/C seemed a bit overstrained, the only minor issue I remember.
It seems to be the case that not enough American car buyers want something like this to make it worth the effort for manufacturers to import it. The first gen xB found something like 180k buyers, which is not an insignificant number – but that’s also 15 years ago now and the market has changed.
All that’s really left in the US market is the KIA Soul.
You can get LHD Kei cars – there was an LHD version of the Suzuki Wagon R called the R+ – I remember them being sold in Germany from 1991 on. Opel also sold a version of these called the Agila….
Honda really stuffed things up with that 2nd gen, trading those oh-so-practical sliders for normal hinged doors.
Initially, the looks were a turn off for me, then as I read further, I started to like it (especially the windowed Spike, although I think I prefer the recessed bumper lights better!) then, RHD popped up, and I said no way! Then the possibility of importation from Canada revived hope again! However, as the owner of a 2012 5 spd manual Fit Sport, I’m wondering how well the 1.5 liter engine would move this box version?? It’s got to be heavier than the Fit, and if converted to camping use, more weight would be added. Perhaps someone from NZ could weigh in on that topic. 🙂
So! Dang! Cool! The ultimate economical road trip mobile.
Here’s one I saw in New Zealand 2 years. 2003 but with a different frontclip
Everyone’s buying SUVs and CUVs because they want tall seating, room, visibility and ease of loading, and I get that. However, for whole bunch of their car’s life, it’ll be stock still or bopping along in traffic at anything up a frightening 50 mph, and the problem with most of them is that they end up being fat and thirsty bastards. For a quite imaginary lifestyle of outdoors and 4wding like the ads promise, that price is just silly and certainly too much.
We all need a long and tall box like this, in truth. Somewhere about 40mpg, useable up to 90 mph if you must, light enough, modern-crashable. I would, for sure.
It’s like one of my favorite cars from the past, but redone for today, namely the Renault 16. Pure practicality with a splash of its own style, and the fact that that style is as ugly as hatful of arseholes to many folks is their problem and not mine.