Daihatsu has not delivered new cars in Europe for almost 12 years, but in Japan and in our hearts the brand is still alive and kicking. For the Tokyo Auto Salon, Daihatsu presents a series of concept cars, with a sporty GR version of a Cuore-like one as the highlight. Toyota subsidiary Daihatsu in Japan largely relies on so-called Kei cars, tiny city vehicles that qualify for all kinds of benefits in exchange for meeting strict requirements. The Taft, Move, Tanto and Hijet all have a high, van-like shape, but the Mira e:S is a hatchback like the Cuore that was once sold in Europe. No coincidence, because the Cuore was already called ‘Mira’ in Asia. The e:S was once intended as an extra-efficient Mira, but is now the only one of its kind within the Daihatsu range. Manual gearbox and turbo For the Tokyo Auto Salon, Daihatsu puts it in a real tracksuit, from the same Gazoo Racing that brought us the Yaris GR. However, here the approach is much less rigorous. The Mira is mainly treated optically and gets sporty bumpers, wheels and seats. It is formally a concept car, so Daihatsu does not elaborate on the technology. It does mention the presence of a turbo engine and a manual gearbox, very different from the good Atkinson three-cylinder and CVT that you normally find in a Mira e:S. The production stage seems feasible to us for such a spicy little one, because Daihatsu has already shown this before. The starting point of the Mira GR Sport is a version for rallying. It is very similar to the GR Sport, but is a two-seater with a roll cage, again different wheels, sponsor stickers and approved towing eyes. The Daihatsu Copen is also being prepared for the Japanese rally championship and will appear in that gear at the Tokyo fair. This car has a cylinder capacity of 770 cc and is therefore no longer formally a Kei car, but that obviously does not matter in this case. Daihatsu also presents the Hijet Truck Jumbo in Tokyo. That sounds grand and compelling, but it is a tiny van with Daihatsu’s motorsport gear and a cargo hold that can be extended when stationary for extra (work) space. More serious stuff The brand proves that Daihatsu is not just about fun, with the Atrai Wildranger2. According to its makers, it is intended for use in major disasters. It looks heroic with its roof rack, extra lights and yellow/black color scheme, but above all it can transport a lot of emergency packages. The fact that disaster relief is unfortunately a ‘hot topic’ in Japan is also proven by the two other cars that Daihatsu has developed for this purpose. Based on the Hijet with loading platform, there is not only a version with a hydraulic tailgate full of heavy tools, but also a separate ‘auxiliary unit’ that can (literally) be screwed onto the back of a kei pick-up in an emergency.
Source: www.autoweek.nl
