Honda Life Second generation
Honda Life (Second generation) was built from 1997 to 1998, as a 5-door hatchback. Powertrain: 656 cc E07A SOHC 12V I3. Layout: Front-engine, front-wheel-drive. Size: 3,295 x 1,395 x 1,635 mm (L x W x H). Weight: 770 kg.
Composed from the specifications below, so it states nothing the specs do not. The picture illustrates the body shape, not this car; a photograph is added when a licence-safe one exists.
Overview
It was introduced as a revision of the 1970s "StepVan" appearance, sharing the second generation Honda Today's basic componentry. Powertrain and chassis, interior and dimensions are almost identical with the Honda Today. The JA4 Honda Life is an interim model as subsequent changes in the laws regulating kei cars made it outdated very soon. This version was only built for about one and a half years. Because of this, it has become a rare car. It used the Honda E07A engine, carried over from the Today. This 656 cc, SOHC three-cylinder with four valves per cylinder, with Honda's PGM-FI as standard equipment, puts out 48 PS at 6,300 rpm and 5.8 kgm at 5,500 rpm.
Source: the English Wikipedia article on this model, CC BY-SA 4.0. Text may be shortened; read the full article for the complete text.
Not yet sourced for this model. Used prices swing with year, mileage, grade and country, so we publish a market range only when it comes with a named source and a date, and never an estimate. For a live figure, use the landed-cost tool with the price on the auction sheet.
Against the other hatchback models in this database (76 with this body type). Computed from the dimensions in the specifications, so it changes as the database grows.
- 100 mm below the median of 3,395 mm, and shorter than 81% of the 70 other hatchback models in this database.
- 80 mm below the median of 1,475 mm, and narrower than 97% of the 70 other hatchback models in this database.
- 105 mm above the median of 1,530 mm, and taller than 86% of the 44 other hatchback models in this database.
- 60 mm below the median of 2,390 mm, and shorter than 82% of the 66 other hatchback models in this database.
Who it suits
- City and mixed driving: hatchbacks are compact outside and flexible inside.
Check before you buy
- Inspect for corrosion at sills, floor, subframes and suspension mounts, and replace perishable rubber (hoses, bushes, boots) at import.
- Read the auction sheet grade and notes, and verify the odometer against service and inspection records. How to read an auction sheet
- Run a history check (accidents, flood, mileage) before you bid. History check guide
- Import age rules: this generation already qualifies in United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia. Confirm the rule for your exact vehicle with customs before buying. Landed-cost calculator
General guidance for this type of vehicle, worked out from its body, powertrain and age. It is not a finding about this particular model; use an inspection and the auction sheet for the car you are actually buying.
Worked out from this generation's production years and each country's age rule. Rules also depend on vehicle type and the month of manufacture, so confirm with customs before you buy.
Other generations of the Life
- First generation · 1971-1974
- Step Van/Pickup (VA/PA) · 1972-1974; Pick-up: 1973-1974
- Third generation · 1998-2003
- Fourth generation · 2003 - 2008
- Fifth generation · 2008-2014
More from Honda · all Honda models
- N-Box (Third generation) · 2023-present
- N-One (Second generation) · 2020 - present; 2026 - present (Super-One)
- N-WGN (Second generation) · 2019 - present
- N-Van · 2018-present
- S660 · 2015 - 2022
- Zest · 2006-2012
Can I import a Honda Life (Second generation) from Japan?
By production year alone, Honda Life (Second generation) is inside the age window for United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia. Rules depend on vehicle type and the month of manufacture, so confirm with customs before you buy.
What powers the Honda Life (Second generation)?
Per its encyclopedia infobox, engine: 656 cc E07A SOHC 12V I3.
How big is the Honda Life (Second generation)?
3,295 mm long and 1,395 mm wide and 1,635 mm tall, on a 2,330 mm wheelbase (5-door hatchback). For container loading, use the container packer.
Answered from this page's own data, not from outside claims. See the sources below.
- en.wikipedia.org (retrieved 2026-10-19)
Confidence: single-source (Wikipedia infobox). Specifications differ by market, trim and model year; the auction sheet or the vehicle's registration document is the final word on a particular car.
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