About Honda That's
Despite its incomplete name, the That's was designed as a kei-car vehicle for the Japanese market, aimed at the customers that asked for something else. That's was the Honda answer for them.
The kei-cars, or light automobiles, were created in Japan in 1949, and the regulations were precise about the size, engine displacement, and power output. The citizens were encouraged to buy them to lower pollution and overcome traffic congestion. The kei-car segment was about one-third of the overall Japanese car-market. Honda That's was designed and engineered to fit into the kei-cars category and, even though it might look unpleasant for other countries, in Japan was a perfect fit.
With its tall stance and very short hood, the That's was a good example of form following function design principle. The Japanese carmaker tried to offer a car with adequate interior room for four passengers but keep the vehicle in the compulsory dimensions. Even though it looked like a cube with a front extension and headlights, it was a practical vehicle.
Inside, the carmaker installed four seats, with a split-folding arrangement for the rear bench. At the front, to clear the floor, the carmaker installed the gear selector next to the steering column. An infotainment unit found its place in the middle of the dashboard. The carmaker installed a round instrument cluster with a speedometer and two gauges for fuel and coolant temperature.
Under the hood, Honda installed a choice of two engines of 0.6-liter displacement; a naturally aspirated one and a turbocharged version. Both were paired as standard to a three-speed automatic transmission. The That's was available either with a front- or all-wheel-drive system.