Honda N BOX Slash

2015 Honda N BOX Slash

The brand-new Honda N BOX Slash is what happens when the folks from Honda tried to shorten the roofline of their Honda N BOX tall kei car via a chopped roof, give it secret rear doors to the passenger side, and provide a unique interior position where the rear is higher than the driver's side. What's it all about the new N BOX Slash is everyone's guess but this new kind of abomination wants further explanations about why such a thing exists on Japanese roads.

At first, it looks like a normal N BOX but this awkward looking side profile gives it a more of a "box coupe" look because the roof has been lowered by 100mm compared to the normal N-BOX, narrowing down the roofline and elevating the window line toward the rear. It's like when the Deuce munched too much sushi filled with spicy wasabi in it but this car's no Deuce. It's a kei car with a rather unquestionable design that confuses the bypassers thinking what in the world is this abomination doing on the streets of Tokyo on a cloudy afternoon.

2015 Honda N BOX Slash interior

2015 Honda N BOX Slash interior

The inside looks identical to the normal N BOX but the Slash model features a low and wide cabin space and the reason why the rear seats are higher than the front seats is because of the fuel tank mounted in the center of the car's backbone. With such unique position, someone at the back can see your head from up there.

Customers can personalize their interiors with five unique styles such as the Bright Rod Style, the Street Rod Style, the California Diner Style, the Hawaii Glide Style, and the Tennessee Session style.

The N BOX Slash features a brand new Sound Mapping System (8 speakers + 1 subwoofer) that turns the interior into a mobile club and despite being in a kei car with a small space, this new kind of sound system brings out its best sound quality on any driving music you're listening and the awesome news is that it comes with the wireless charging device which you can charge your phones without the help of that troublesome USB connectors that you often lost it either at home or in the car.

2015 Honda N BOX Slash

The N BOX Slash still comes with the same 660cc engine (in normal and turbo) and the CVT gearbox as the normal N BOX but it has been recalibrated for this model to provide better acceleration and the fuel economy of 25.8kmpl (in JC08 Mode) at the same time. It's not what you called fast but it feels more decent and nippy for a city car in this magnitude, although the steering is a bit heavy because of its power steering included on the N Box Slash even though it can be turned on or off at a flick of a switch but that's least of our problems because there's a newly-developed Electric Parking Brake that uses a button rather than the traditional handbrake which allows the driver to apply the parking brake without fail at the touch of a button.

In the name of safety, it's been loaded with lots of it such as the Emergency Stop Signal, Vehicle Stability Assist, Hill Start Assist system, and then there's the available Safety Package which includes the City-Brake Active system, side curtain airbag system and front passenger’s i-side airbag system,

The new N BOX Slash starts at 1,380,000 Japanese Yen ($14,000) and it's available in 18 colors, including two-tone color variations accompanying the body and the roof. So, what to like about the N Box Slash? It's unique seating position where the rear is higher than the front, its sound system with the wireless charger, and its sizing just right for a city car. What I don't like is the sloping roofline that kinda spoils the look of this bizarre N BOX, its new Electric Parking Brake, and its Power Steering that feels a bit heavy.

Photo: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.