The Honda Rafaga is a

compact Compact as used in politics may refer broadly to a pact or treaty; in more specific cases it may refer to: * Interstate compact * Blood compact, an ancient ritual of the Philippines * Compact government, a type of colonial rule utilized in British ...

4-door sedan sold exclusively in Japan by

Honda is a Japanese public multinational conglomerate manufacturer of automobiles, motorcycles, and power equipment, headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, reaching a producti ...

, introduced in January 1993, and used the same 5-cylinder engine that was used in the

Honda Inspire The is a mid-size sedan introduced by Honda in 1990 derived from Honda Accord chassis. The first Inspire debuted in 1990 as the Accord Inspire, a sister nameplate to the Honda Vigor, but sold at different retail channels in Japan, known as '' ...

and the

Honda Vigor The is a premium sedan that was derived from the Honda Accord. It was sold in Japan through the '' Honda Verno'' dealer network from 1981 until 1995, and sold in North America from June 1991 (model year 1992) until 1994 as the Acura Vigor. Early ...

and shared a platform with the second generation CE series

Honda Ascot The is a compact sedan manufactured by Honda and marketed only in Japan from 1989 until 1997. The first generation produced two versions based on the Honda Accord CB series called the Ascot and from 1993 to 1996 a "pillared hardtop" called t ...

. "Rafaga" is Spanish for "gust" or "blustery". The engine is installed longitudinally, the same configuration used in the Vigor and Inspire. The Rafaga was third in Hondas hierarchy of sedans, and a sister car to the Ascot, which was sold at the ''

Honda Primo is a Japanese public multinational conglomerate manufacturer of automobiles, motorcycles, and power equipment, headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, reaching a product ...

'' dealership network. The Rafaga was sold in Japan at ''

Honda Verno is a Japanese public multinational conglomerate manufacturer of automobiles, motorcycles, and power equipment, headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, reaching a product ...

'' dealerships, and was one level up from the Honda Integra. As with other Honda products, the Rafaga used double wishbone suspension at the front and rear wheels. The "2.5 S" trim level came with a front suspension upper strut brace in the engine compartment. In Japan, the smaller G20A engine used regular grade fuel, while the larger G25A engine used premium grade fuel. The Rafaga and the Ascot were introduced to serve as Honda's compact sedan for the Japanese market when the Accord's dimensions grew as a result of demand for the Accord in North America needing a wider car. The wheelbase of the Rafaga was shorter than the slightly longer Inspire and Vigor, which measured at , a difference of , which didn't leave much room for rear seat passengers. Furthermore, due to the lengthwise installation of the five-cylinder engine, and the requirement that the overall length of the car comply with Japanese government regulations concerning cars classified as "compact", compromises were made with regards to rear passenger accommodations, and sales suffered as a result. The grille is in the shape of an inverted triangle that flows into the front bumper, and a small Honda "H" logo at the top. The Rafaga also had a long and low front engine compartment due to the placement of the engine, and a short trunk, adding to its aerodynamic ambitions. Under Japanese Government exterior dimension regulations, the Rafaga was a compact sedan, thereby supplanting the previous

Honda Accord The , also known as the in Japan and China for certain generations, is a series of cars manufactured by Honda since 1976, best known for its four-door sedan variant, which has been one of the best-selling cars in the United States since 1989. ...

, which grew in exterior dimensions slightly. This approach thereby redirected compact sedan buyers to ''Honda Verno'' and ''Honda Primo'' locations. The interior came with genuine wood panels provided by Japanese furniture maker

Tendo Mokko ) is a Japanese furniture maker based in Tendō, Yamagata is a city located in Yamagata Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 61,947 in 22392 households, and a population density of 550 persons per km2. The total area of ...

on the dashboard and center console, with leather available as an option on the "2.5 S". In 1994, dual airbags for front passengers and ABS were available, as well as a glass moonroof. The availability of two engine sizes offered Japanese buyers the choice of deciding how much annual

road tax Road tax, known by various names around the world, is a tax which has to be paid on, or included with, a motorised vehicle to use it on a public road. National implementations Australia All states and territories require an annual vehicle registra ...

they were willing to pay; the larger 2.5 litre engine offered much higher levels of standard equipment to justify the higher tax liability. As the recession began to take hold in Japan, known as the "

bubble economy An economic bubble (also called a speculative bubble or a financial bubble) is a period when current asset prices greatly exceed their intrinsic valuation, being the valuation that the underlying long-term fundamentals justify. Bubbles can be ...

", and demand for the Accord remained strong, the Rafaga and the Ascot were discontinued and replaced with the

Honda Torneo The Honda Torneo is a mid-size Sedan (automobile), sedan introduced by Honda in 1997, exclusively for the Japanese domestic market, derived from the Honda Accord (sixth generation), sixth-generation Honda Accord. While the Accord was sold exclusi ...

in 1997.

References

External links

Honda , ASCOT / RAFAGA history

{{Modern Honda vehicles Rafaga Slanted engines Compact cars Front-wheel-drive vehicles