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About Daihatsu Cars

Daihatsu's roots can be traced back to 1907. Daihatsu after producing three-wheelers was not an official brand name until 1951. Daihatsu produced its first four-wheelers in 1958. Even then at the start, the company, which was now part of Toyota, specialised in small-capacity passenger cars and 4-wheel-drive off-roaders. In 1966 the iconic Compagno had the honour of being the first Japanese car to be imported into the UK.

The Daihatsu car range was dominated by the small Domino and Charade models, which were mostly with three-cylinder engines, including a very tiny sub-1.0-litre diesel model. The ultimate 3-cylinder was the turbocharged Charade GTi, which created 99bhp from its 993cc engine.

Japan's domestic tax laws brought about a unique generation of tiny city cars like K-class, these had to comply with strict performance and dimensions rule restrictions. Daihatsu's Cuore, with a twin-cylinder 547cc engine, was first produced in 1976. This was joined a decade later by the Leeza, with the turbo version producing 50bhp.

Daihatsu's first 4WD off-roader was the Utility Taft, this model had engines from 1.0 petrol to 2.5-litre diesel. The Fourtrak, launched in 1985, was more a working than a lifestyle off-roader. The Sportrak, which appeared in 1990, was aimed at the leisure market, although it had been left behind by newer vehicles such as Honda's CR-V or the Toyota RAV4. A small relaxation in the K-class rules has been a help for these cars to be a little larger. The little five-door Move, which was designed in conjunction with IDEA in Italy, uses a 12-valve three-cylinder 847cc engine, with a three-speed automatic, this is an option over the five-speed manual 'box. UK promotion of the Move reflected its bizarre appearance this was despite its short length, it had a roof line which was tall enough to allow the driver to wear a top hat. But more conventional is the Grand Move, basically a small MPV with a 1.5-litre engine.

Overall Daihatsu's UK range tends to be characterised by dynamically unremarkable but unusually packaged smaller cars. One possible exception could be the stylish Copen Roadster.