Honda Today

This Honda Today was a kei car (minivehicle) produced by the Japanese automaker Honda beginning in 1985. It was replaced by the Honda Life in 1998. Honda's smallest car being produced at the time was the Honda City, which was a supermini and it had an engine larger than kei car legislation allowed. The Today represented a re-entry into kei car production. Honda had abandoned kei passenger cars in 1975, choosing to manufacture the Honda Acty kei truck, and the Honda Street microvan for that segment. Previously, Honda's smallest car was the Honda Civic, followed by the smaller Honda City in 1981.

History

Early

The first generation Today was introduced in September 1985 as a three-door hatchback, on a wheelbase of 2,330 mm (91.7 in). The Today was initially launched with three different model specifications, with the entry model being model 'F', followed by a model 'M' and the top of the range 'G'. The Today was only intended for the Japanese domestic market. It was introduced at newly established Japanese dealerships called Honda Primo locations alongside the Primo "headliner" sedan, the Honda Civic. The flat roof hatchback design appearance was shared with the incrementally larger supermini Honda City, the subcompact Honda Civic, and the compact Honda Accord AeroDeck. Originally available with either a four-speed manual or a three-speed automatic, it was powered by a water-cooled two-cylinder Honda EH series OHC 545 cc engine - the same as used in the Acty kei truck. In a market where three-cylinder engines were the norm, this unit was outdated and was replaced by a three-cylinder four-valve E05A 547 cc engine by February 1988. The rear axle was a torsion beam with coil springs. Together with the new regulations in March, 1990 the bumpers were enlarged to give the car a length of 3,295 mm (129.7 in), and the engine was enlarged to 656 cc. By April 1990, came a permanent four-wheel drive version with an independent rear axle.