The Honda Ascot is a compact sedan that Honda marketed only in Japan from 1989 until 1997. The first generation produced two versions, the Ascot and the Ascot Innova, and the second was a platform improvement shared with the Japan-only Honda Rafaga.
Honda Ascot at a glance
| Maker | Honda |
|---|---|
| Market | Japan only |
| Production | 1989–1997 |
| Class | compact sedan |
| First generation | based on the Accord CB series |
| Dealer network | Honda Primo |
| Engines | 1.8 and 2.0 litre |
| Ascot Innova | 1992–1996, related to the Rover 600 |
| Second generation | platform shared with the Honda Rafaga |
| Name origin | Ascot Racecourse and the Ascot tie |
Based on one source, the English Wikipedia article on the Ascot. No free photograph of the Ascot car was found; the Commons files offered are of the Ascot FT500 motorcycle of the early 1980s.
History of the Honda Ascot
An Accord for Honda Primo
Honda created the Ascot for its Japanese sales-channel strategy. In 1985 the company set up the Honda Clio and Honda Primo networks alongside the existing Verno chain. Primo sold kei cars and the Civic, while Clio took larger models such as the Legend; when the fourth-generation Accord arrived, its sales went solely to Clio. Primo therefore needed an Accord-based compact sedan of its own, and the Ascot was created as a sister car.
Technically an Accord
The Ascot was technically identical to the Accord sedan and shared its interior and dashboard. The exterior sheetmetal was unique, with a more formal grille, headlight units from the Inspire, a six-light greenhouse instead of the Accord’s four-light layout and a revised rear with the licence plate recessed into the bumper. Five trim levels were offered, from the 1.8-litre FB and FBX to the 2.0FBT-i with four-wheel anti-lock brakes, traction control, a viscous coupling differential, four-wheel steering and double-wishbone suspension.
The Ascot Innova
Launched on 5 March 1992, the Ascot Innova used the same CB Accord underpinnings but wore an all-new rounded body styled like the Prelude of the period. It was the result of a joint effort with the Rover Group, shared much of its mechanicals with the European Accord built at Swindon and was essentially the badge-engineered Rover 600.
Second generation
The second-generation Ascot was a platform improvement shared with the Japan-only Honda Rafaga sedan. The model was withdrawn in 1997.
Design and features
- Sister car to the Accord: identical mechanically, with unique exterior panels.
- Six-light greenhouse: a more formal look than the Accord’s four-light layout.
- Inspire headlights: borrowed to give the Ascot a more luxurious face.
- Rover connection: the Innova was developed with Rover and matched the Rover 600.
Honda Ascot versions
- Ascot FB and FBX: 1.8-litre entry models.
- Ascot 2.0Si and 2.0FBX-i: mid-range 2.0-litre cars.
- Ascot 2.0FBT-i: top trim with four-wheel steering and traction control.
- Ascot Innova (1992–1996): the rounded Rover-related version.
- Second-generation Ascot: the Rafaga-based car.
The Ascot was built on the Honda Accord and used the headlights of the Inspire, another Japan-only model. More Hondas are in the Honda collection.
Sources
- Honda Ascot, English Wikipedia: history, trims, Innova, second generation
