With ‘kei’ minivehicles set to hit record sales in Japan this fiscal year, automakers are preparing more diverse model ranges that include off road and sports models to attract young drivers and others to this tiny, uniquely Japanese car.
According to the Nikkei, Suzuki plans to release a crossover minivehicle that combines the features of a sport utility vehicle and a subcompact next year. The carmaker, which already offers the Jimny mini-SUV, hopes to see its cars used for a broader range of applications, such as in cold regions and for leisure activities. To be built at its main plant in Kosai, Shizuoka Prefecture, the new model will likely be priced at around JPY1.3m.
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Daihatsu will revive its Copen convertible, which, unusually for a kei car, was exported. It stopped producing the model in 2012. It will build another production line at its Ikeda, Osaka Prefecture, factory for several billion yen to make about 20,000 redesigned Copens a year starting next spring. In a first for the industry, the body’s surface will be entirely resin-based except for the doors. And users will be able to change exterior parts, such as fenders, to make the vehicle look like an SUV, for example.
Honda Motor plans next year to revive the Beat, a roadster that was a big hit in the early 1990s. This model has a mid engine, rear wheel drive layout and is expected to have a three-cylinder turbo engine, the Nikkei said.
Minivehicles, a category of automobile unique to Japan, have engine displacements of 660cc or less. Less than 1,000kg, their low weight makes them well suited for sports cars. However, manufacturers stopped making sporty minicars due to stricter environmental regulations and a decline in sales caused by the economic slump.
Sales of minivehicles are projected to exceed 2.1m units this year, accounting for almost 40% of new cars sold in Japan. Roughly 30% of the owners are 60 years and older, the paper said.
