Honda is ending production of the e next month, and Toyota Japan gives the Crown a special edition with an all-matte finish.
This is AM Drive, Motor1's daily look at the news you need before you get in your car.
Honda e Axed
Raise your hand if you saw this coming. Honda's stylish electric commuter will soon be a thing of the past. With an influx of shiny new hybrids and EVs carrying the H badge, the diminutive hatchback is being retired. A message posted on the company's website in Japan says production is coming to an end in January 2024.
The retro-styled car had two major weaknesses from day one: price and range. Indeed, the Honda e has a WLTP rating of up to 137 miles depending on the trim level and wheel size. In France, the Advance version starts at a steep €42,100. The adorable EV was never a strong seller, so its demise isn't surprising. It had a short run of only three years.
The Toyota Crown Gets Matte Paint From The Factory
Toyota Crown The Limited-Matte Metal
We usually see matte paints on luxury cars, but Toyota's oddball Crown high-riding sedan gets the fancy finish in Japan. The shadowy version goes by the awkward name of "The Limited-Matte Metal" and is only sold at dedicated Crown showrooms in the country. It's not just any matte paint but one that has a special thin coat on top to make it more durable and easier to clean.
Beyond the new paint, it also gets 21-inch wheels with a matte black finish and center caps with the Crown badge rather than Toyota's logo. There's also an optional dealer-installed side garnish with a similar matte metal look to complement the cladding around the wheel arches. The leather interior is predictably black as well, and has laser-etched lettering on the dashboard to denote the car’s special status.
Toyota Japan is charging 7,500,000 yen, which works out to about $51,600 at current exchange rates. In the United States, the 2024 Crown starts at $40,050 for the XLE and rises to $53,070 for the Platinum.
