The Honda Capa, short for "capacity", is a "tall wagon" produced by Honda between 1998 and 2002 for the Japanese market. It was introduced at the 1997 Tokyo Motor Show as the concept car "J-MW." It went on sale April 24, 1998, with Honda series codes GA4 and GA6. On September 16, 1999 a 4WD version of the Capa was released, using Honda's Full-Time four-wheel-drive system. Brake Assist was offered as standard equipment. Due to disappointing sales the Capa nameplate was discontinued in 2002. It was available in Japan through Honda Primo and Honda Verno dealerships.
General information
As the first generation of the 'J Mover' Series, the Honda Capa was developed on the Honda Logo platform. Its concept was based on a 'Small is Smart' way of thinking. Ease of use in everyday life, compactness, lightness and friendliness to the environment were some of the criteria built into the design. The proposal was that the Capa was to be 'Joyful' however this translates better as 'fun.' It was one class larger than the kei sized Honda Life, but smaller than the compact sized, Honda CR-V which based on the Honda Civic platform, and reflected the growing popularity of MPV/SUV/minivan vehicles. The Honda Capa was designed with the intention of creating a car that was to be the best size for town driving. A car that could seat your family, with ample height for headroom and plenty of legroom considering its compact nature. To achieve this feat, Honda design the chassis based on a 'dual deck package.' The Honda Capa was equipped with a 1.5-litre single-overhead-cam four-valve inline four-cylinder D15B engine. It was initially offered only with Honda's Multimatic continuously variable transmission, but following an update, a regular 4-speed automatic transmission option was introduced as a lower cost option on front-wheel-drive versions.
1997 - Displayed at the Tokyo Motor Show as the J-MW
1998 - Announced that sales would begin April 24, 1998
1999 - Minor update on model. Minor bumper remodelling, 4WD model added to the line-up, 4-speed automatic transmission added to the line-up for the 2WD model only, Honda's Brake Assist system and Tachometer added as standard equipment to the line-up.
2000 - Minor update on model. Front grille, bumper and seats were updated. Special edition added to the line-up.
2001 - Honda Mobilioannounced as the successor to the Honda Capa. Honda Capa production and sales continue.
2002 - February: Honda announces the end of production of the Capa due to bad sales.
Origin of the name
Honda named the Capa based on the English word 'Capacity', referring to ability as well as spaciousness.
