Honda has announced that it will be importing select models from its global manufacturing plants into Japan. Initially, the American-made Honda Passport and Acura Integra were announced for the carmaker’s home market, but the fully electric Insight was recently added to the incoming roster.
For the uninitiated, this particular Honda EV is built in China through the brand’s partnership with Dongfeng. It will enter Japan as the latest iteration of the nameplate, which pioneered Honda’s electrification efforts in ’99.
Interestingly, the Insight is also bound for Thailand, but it will be rebranded as the e:N2. There, it will join the smaller e:N1, bolstering Honda’s fully electric offerings in the Thai market. It is unclear if, like the e:N1, the Insight will also be assembled in Thailand. If so, it could make it easier for these EVs to enter the Philippines.
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Honda Cars Philippines has yet to debut its first fully electric model, instead focusing on its hybrid stable. The all-new Prelude will share the showroom floor with the recently debuted AWD CR-V e:HEV. And along with the hybrid Civic and HR-V, Honda will soon have four electrified models in the country.
With Toyota set to launch its second fully electric model, we should expect Honda to enter the fray sooner rather than later.
In the case of the Passport and the Integra, there is an unlikely chance these vehicles will see Philippine roads, but they are inching closer to our region. Never say never, we say—but the Insight, or even the N-One e:, would make a lot more sense.
