Daihatsu has three small 660 cc minicar concepts lined up for this year’s Tokyo show.
Leading the way is the e:s (blue car), a neat two-door hatch that looks like a smaller version of BMW’s Mini. The design of the 3100 mm e:s looks production ready but Daihatsu is not even thinking yet of whether to build it.
The Japanese manufacturer is concentrating on an eco theme with its concepts, but hybrids are too complex, heavy and costly, and diesels out of the question, so Daihatsu has decided to go another way to improve economy and lower C02.
One is to make the car physically smaller and lighter, so the e:s comes in 300 mm shorter than a normal 660 cc mini and is impressively light at just 700 kgs.
By refining its existing three cylinder technology, Daihatsu’s also been able to have the e:s deliver 30 km/l (85mpg) in Japan’s 10.15 mode fuel cycle, exactly the same as Honda’s hybrid-powered Insight.
If the e:s shows Daihatsu’s thinking for future small cars, then the Deca Deca (boxy car) is more of the traditional Tokyo Show car. Not meant to be entirely sensible, it is entertaining and the theme with this small utilitarian 3395 mm MPV is cabin space and how to rejig it to suit the occasion.
Deca Deca also revives the fold out doors idea of the classic VW Kombi and comes with three cylinder turbo power, CVT and front-drive.
The Japanese are also big on French chic and one look at the Basket (green car) may remind some of the Citroen Mehari from the ‘70s.
Based off the Mira, Daihatsu’s main 660 cc player in Japan, the Basket is converted to 4WD, seats up to four and has a resolutely plain, no frills interior. It also has separate front and rear roofs. The front is FRP, the rear, made of canvas.
Thanks to: Autocar