Honda Airwave

Honda Airwave
Manufacturer	Honda Motor Company
Production	2005-present
Class	Subcompact car
Body style(s)	5-door wagon
Layout	Front-engine, front-wheel drive / four-wheel drive
Platform	Global Small Car
Engine(s)	1.5L L15A VTEC I4
Transmission(s)	CVT / CVT-7
Wheelbase	2550 mm (100.4 in)
Length	4350 mm (171.3 in)
Width	1695 mm (66.7 in)
Height	1515 mm (59.6 in)
Related	Honda Fit Honda Fit Aria

The Honda Airwave is a subcompact car produced by the Japanese automaker Honda since 2005. It is a five-door station wagon version of the City / Fit Aria and Fit/Jazz, which are a sedan and a hatchback respectively. The Airwave is built on the Global Small Car platform; however, unlike the City and Fit, the Airwave is unique to the Japanese market. Honda announced the debut of the Airwave on April 7, 2005.

Models

The Airwave is sold in two trim lines, the basic "G" model, and the well-equipped "L" model. Each of the trim lines has an optional glass sunroof that covers a large part of the roof. Each version of the car is available in either front-wheel drive or four-wheel drive. The current version of the Honda Partner panel van introduced on March 10, 2006 is now based upon the Airwave. Essentially a decontented version of the Airwave, it utilizes the L15A i-DSI engine (unlike the VTEC engine in the Airwave) mated to a five-speed automatic transmission identical to that found in the North American market Fit.

Drivetrain

The Airwave is powered by the largest version of Honda's L-series engine family, the 1496 cc 1.5 L VTEC L15A gasoline engine. The engine produces a maximum output of 81 kW (109 hp) at 5800 rpm and a maximum torque of 143 Nm (105 ft·lbf) at 4800 rpm. Two forms of a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) are available on the Airwave. The "G" trim line has a standard CVT of five-speed, while the "L" sports a CVT with seven-speed mode. This allows the driver to choose between the smooth, shiftless acceleration of a standard CVT, or the added option of shifting through seven computer-controlled "gears".

Interior

Fuel economy monitor in a 2006 Airwave

The interior versatility of the Airwave is similar to its smaller sibling, the Fit. By moving the fuel tank underneath the front row of seats, a significant amount of space is freed up in the rear for a useful seating system. Like the Fit, the Airwave has five different seating modes.

• Normal: seats are in their normal position with seating for five.
• Utility: Either section (or both) of the 60:40 split rear seat sink down into the rear foot well as the rear seat back is lowered forward. This offers a low, perfectly flat surface that increases the cargo area substantially.
• Long: The rear seat behind the passenger folds down similar to utility mode, but the front passenger seat folds backward, leaving an area that can hold items as long as 2.7 meters (8.9 feet).
• Tall: Either section (or both) of the rear seat cushion fold up against the rear seat back, allowing for an area of 1.25 meters (4.1 feet) in height.
• Refresh: With the headrest of the front seat removed, the front seat back can be folded down to form a lounge-style sitting area.

Sales

The Airwave started its sales from Apr 7th, 2005.

Sales in the Japan Domestic Market:

2005: 43846

2006: 32253

All of them are sold in the Japan market; however, some of them are exported as parallel imports to some countries (e.g., Hong Kong, Singapore, New Zealand).