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Look Back: Honda Capa

Editor's Note: Today, we begin Look Back, an information and historic look at the vehicles that have graced Honda's lineup in the past 50 years. Some were award-winning, some were downright awful, but each car reflects Honda's multitude of automotive ideas. 




Honda's Capa short for capacity was a small subcompact 5-door hatchback (think an older version of the Fit/Jazz) that was produced between 1998 and 2002. A concept car called the J-MW premiered at the 1997 Tokyo Auto Show. The Capa was powered by a 1.5L fuel injected engine inline-4 SOHC producing 98 horsepower and 98 pound feet of torque. A CVT transmission called Multimatic S or a 4-speed auto was offered on the car. On September 16, 1999, a Real-Time 4WD version of the Capa was introduced offering standard Brake Assist as well. The Honda Mobilio later replaced the Capa due to its slow sales.

The Japanese concept car, 1997 J-MW that lead to the debut of the Honda Capa

Honda's initial motive for the debut of the Capa was to offer a larger vehicle with more capability (hence the name) for Japanese buyers. The CR-V was also introduced in 1997-1998 and these two models offered substantially more room and comfort than the kei cars in the late 90s. Folding seats and cargo cover added to their spaciousness. The reason behind Capa's slow sales was that it was slightly larger than standard-sized kei cars in Japan and Asia at the time. Why is that the reason? Due to the fact it was slightly larger, its price was astonishingly higher than other kei cars, especially in Honda's own lineup. Honda outfitted the Capa with the 1.5L Civic engine instead of the smaller kei car engines to compensate for the extra weight. Despite the fact it was more functional than more kei cars at the time, buyers were never too interested and this was dropped in 2002.

The interior of the Capa at the time, on par with most Honda interior designs of the late 90s

Resale values of the Capa have been normal. A 1999 moderately-used Honda Capa's sale price in US dollars sits at around $3000-$3500 depending on the model. The majority of the Capa models were sold in Japan with a few scattered throughout Asian countries.