2014 Beijing: Honda Jade Launched In China, A Preview Of The Next Generation Stream?

Here's a look at the Honda Jade. This Chinese-market only MPV was introduced in China in September last year but sales will only begin this year.

"Speaking of new-value products, we unveiled the Concept M at the Shanghai Motor Show last year. The mass-production model will go on sale this year as a vehicle that offers the fun of driving and comfortable space at the same time. Please keep your expectations high for this model," said Honda Motor's CEO Takanobu Ito at the 2014 Beijing International Auto Show earlier today.

When the Jade was first previewed as the Concept M, many say that this model is a thinly disguised version of Honda's upcoming third generation Stream, a speculation which Honda did not confirm or deny.

"I am not familiar with the Stream, which is an overseas model. The Jade is only available in China and is tailored to meet the requirements of Chinese buyers," said a Chinese Honda associate when asked about the connection between the two models.

However he did explain that although the Jade is currently only available in China, sales in overseas markets is possible, without elaborating any further.

While the Jade's product concept appears to be very similar to that of a Stream, we found out that the two are actually quite different once you begin inspecting the product. For one, the Jade places greater emphasis on style over form, while the Stream strives to achieve a good balance between functionality and maintaining a sporty silhouette.

The Stream is a 5+2 seater, with the third row best suited for children rather than adults. The Jade however, has a significantly shorter roofline, one that tapers off quite sharply towards the rear the car. It is difficult to see how even a child above pre-school age can fit into the third row seats without severely bending their necks and crouching their legs.

The tailgate also has an odd horizontal bar that splits the rear windscreen into two sections.  

The Jade is available either a two-row seat (5-seater) or a three-row seat (6-seater). Seen here in these images is the two-row version.

The Honda Jade measures 4,660 mm long, 1,775 mm wide and 1,500 mm tall. Compared to the Honda Stream, the Jade has a significantly larger footprint - 90 mm longer and 80 mm wider. However the Jade is also 45 mm lower, thus severely compromising its ability to carry passengers in the third row.

Like the Stream, the Jade is powered by a 1.8-litre engine, albeit with a different engine code designation. The Jade's R18Z6 engine is paired to either a five-speed automatic or a CVT transmission.

Meanwhile, we will just have to wait and see how different/similar will the third generation Stream be from the Jade.