Another Day, Another Life: Honda Life gets a spinoff in China

The original Honda Life was a Kei car that used to come out in Japan in 1971 through 1974. Four more generations followed in 1997 through 2014, until the company ditched the model in favor of a new one called N-One. Today, Honda Life is alive again – albeit as a different vehicle.

More specifically, the new Life is a China-only variant of the Jazz/Fit hatchback. The latter is already available on that market thanks to the GAC-Honda joint enterprise, but the new Life is a slightly different model made by Dongfeng-Honda. It is nearly identical to the international version shown in the attached video except for fewer trims and redesigned bumpers.

The entry-level Honda Life trim will not be available in China, so customers will have to choose between the Sport and Crosstar trims. Both wear body kits that make them 4,109 mm long, as opposed to the base spec’s 3,995 mm.

For comparison’s sake, the Europe-spec Jazz is a hybrid-only vehicle, while the domestic Japan spec additionally comes with a 1.3-liter gasoline engine. In contrast, all China-made Fit and Life models ship with a 1.5-liter non-turbo gasoline engine rated at 131 PS (129 hp / 96 kW) and a CVT.

Prices start at the equivalent of U.S. $15,000. China-made Fit has a cheaper overall trim and starts at $12,500.