The Honda Z is the only mid-engined kei SUV ever built. Honda launched it on October 9, 1998, the month Japan's enlarged kei-car rules took effect, as a three-door, four-seat 4WD with its 656cc three-cylinder mounted longitudinally under the rear-seat floor, a layout Honda badged "UM-4" for Underfloor Midship 4WD. The idea came from the mid-engined Acty kei truck: people above the floor, mechanicals below it, and a claimed 50:50 weight balance. Sales were modest, around 40,000 cars before production ended in January 2002, so the Z is a rare sight even in Japan and a conversation piece next to a Jimny or Pajero Mini. It shares only its name with the 1970–74 Honda Z600 coupe that was sold in the U.S. Nearly the whole run is old enough to import today: every Z built from October 1998 through December 2001.
What makes the Honda Z different
The engine is under the back seat. Open the hood and you find a "utility box" where an engine would normally be. The longitudinal E07Z sits amidships, driving both axles through straight propeller shafts.
Rear-biased automatic 4WD. The rear wheels do the driving in normal use and the fronts are engaged through a viscous unit when the car starts, accelerates or finds rain, snow, a slope or a rough road. No lever, no low range (details below).
Tall tires at the corners. 175/80R15s, unusual for a kei car, on a 2,360 mm (93 in) wheelbase with 195 mm (7.7 in) of ground clearance and a 4.6 m (15 ft) turning circle.
Honda's safety kit. Dual airbags standard, Honda's G-Control crash body and pedestrian-friendly hood and fenders, with ABS and brake assist as an option. Electric power steering and a 2-DIN audio slot, a first for a Honda kei.
Which Honda Zs can be imported
U.S. rules let a vehicle that was never sold here be imported once it's at least 25 years old, counted from its month and year of manufacture. In 2026 that means Zs built between October 1998 and December 2001, which is almost all of them:
One chassis code covers the whole run, and "GF-PA1" on the paperwork just adds the 1998 emissions prefix. There was no 2WD version and no manual gearbox; a 5-speed was considered and never sold. January 2002 cars become eligible in January 2027. The E07Z engine family also powered the Life, Vamos, Acty and That's, which helps with parts.
2WD or 4x4?
Every Z is a 4x4. Honda's own description is "viscous-coupling type Real-Time 4WD: normally rear-wheel drive, with torque going to the front wheels when starting, accelerating, or on rain, snow, slopes and rough roads." It happens automatically, so there's nothing to switch, and there is no low range and no center lock, which makes the Z a road-biased small crossover for gravel, grass, wet pavement and light trails rather than a mud truck. A rear helical limited-slip differential was a factory option on the Z TURBO only, and worth looking for. If you need a transfer case with low range in a kei package, see the Suzuki Jimny or Pajero Mini. Between the two engines, the 64 PS turbo is the one to pick for U.S. roads; the 52 PS car is fine around town but works hard at highway speed in a 960 kg (2,116 lb) car.
Versions you'll see
Z: the naturally aspirated 52 PS car.
Z TURBO: the 64 PS intercooled turbo, Honda's first kei-car turbo, and the only grade that could take the helical LSD.
S package: a factory option of 15-inch alloy wheels and privacy glass, often listed as if it were a grade ("Turbo S package").
Super Emotion (from June 2000): special editions of both engines with body-color bumpers, privacy glass and a CD stereo.
Options to look for: ABS with brake assist, Honda navigation, the "Super Sound" MD and six-speaker audio, automatic air conditioning.
Any Honda Z that's in Houston can be inspected and test driven at our lot.
Questions buyers ask
Can I title and register a Honda Z in Texas? Since September 1, 2025, Texas law (SB 1816) lets kei vehicles be titled and registered as "miniature vehicles." Our Texas title and registration guide walks through the paperwork. Other states have their own rules, so check with yours before you buy.
Is it a kei car? Yes. 656cc, 64 PS maximum and a 3,395 × 1,475 mm (133.7 × 58 in) body built to the October 1998 kei dimensions, so it wore yellow kei plates in Japan.
What mileage should I expect? Honda's Japanese test-cycle figures were 16.2 km/L (38 mpg) for the Z and 15.6 km/L (37 mpg) for the turbo, class-leading at the time; real-world driving will be lower. It runs on regular unleaded, with a 35-liter (9.2 gal) tank.
Will it keep up on the highway? The turbo will hold 60–65 mph; Honda geared the 4-speed automatic to keep engine speed down on the expressway. Like every 660cc kei vehicle it's happiest on local roads.
How many seats? Four, with a flat floor and seats that fold fully flat. Three doors only.
Is the odometer in miles? No. Japanese vehicles read in kilometers, and our listings show the odometer in km. 1 km is about 0.62 miles.
Is it right-hand drive? Yes, like every Japanese-market kei vehicle.
Can I buy one that's still on its way from Japan? Yes. Reserve an In Transit Honda Z with a $1,000 deposit. See how buying works.
Written by Farhad Musazada, Skyline Kei Trucks. Published October 19, 2026.
