Filed under: Economy, Euro, Hatchbacks
Awww... how cute - Daihatsu Trevis charms Europe
Our friends at Autoblog Spanish bring news of Daihatsu's new Trevis city car. With retro styling that apes the general look of the original Mini (with two extra doors, of course), the little Trevis is easy on they eyes. Where it really shines, however, is at the pump. City cars are fuel misers and the Daihatsu is no exception. Its 58-horse 1.0L DOHC 3-cylinder is good for 4.8L/100km (49mpg) in the European city/hwy combined cycle when equipped with the 5-speed manual. If equipped with the optional 4-speed automatic, it drops to 5.9L/100km (39 mpg).
The run to 100km/h (62 mph) takes 12.2 seconds. Not bad when you consider the power, and certainly not a real issue in dedicated urban driving, where you're stopping and going all the time anyway. The interior has a refreshingly clean layout that carries the modern/retro styling inside. The driver is met with an attractive instrument cluster and an available MOMO leather-wrapped steering wheel.
The price for all this goodness? The base-model Trevis Junior starts at 9,990 €. Choosing the regular Trevis -- which includes the aforementioned MOMO steering wheel plus additional features such as 14" rims -- ups the asking price to 10,990 €. The optional automatic tranny sets buyers back an additional 970 €.
We'll see how Americans embrace a true city car when the SMART finally makes its debut in the States. If there's an audience, there are a lot of other interesting, inexpensive, and efficient vehicles in the class that could conceivably come over and give it some competition. The Trevis is one of them.
(More photos after the jump)
[Source: Daihatsu Germany via Autoblog Spanish]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
JC 5:10PM (8/23/2006)
wheres the fuel gauge? dont tell me theres an idiot light for the fuel gauge like the water temperature? the frontend reminds me of the mini, but miniaturized haha with 4 doors.
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Richard Warren 5:18PM (8/23/2006)
#1 Yep, it's there on the lower right of the speedometer.
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DPC car videos 5:18PM (8/23/2006)
looks like a skinny mini cooper.
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BCM 5:19PM (8/23/2006)
With no bumpers to speak of, it looks like repairing the bodywork after typical urban fender benders could be pretty expensive. I presume it meets impact regulations, but you're still sacrificing the unibody panels rather than a bumper assembly.
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rwdmtparkingonly 5:21PM (8/23/2006)
Looks like Toyota beat BMW to the traveler/clubman market, and threw on two doors to make it more practical. I checked out their site and they have a retractable hardtop convertible called the Copen that is pretty cool, although for a bit higher payment and a bit more gas I would take the Miata hardtop.
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Cole 5:23PM (8/23/2006)
Total Mini ripoff. Clubman!
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Buffy 5:28PM (8/23/2006)
Classic, modern, beauty but just a little too feminine for me. It's going to sell buckets (at that price alone) to the ladies... or ladies at heart.
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Carlos 5:51PM (8/23/2006)
Total ripoff of the Asian market Nissan Verita (a retro-skinned previous-generation Nissan March/Micra).
But Nissan didn't sell theirs in Europe, so it's fair for Daihatsu to do so.
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CWF 6:05PM (8/23/2006)
#1, at 49mpg in combined city/hwy cycle, who needs a fuel gauge? Just fill up the tank once when buying the car and, as Ron Popeil would say, set it and forget it.
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Tri-Bob 6:07PM (8/23/2006)
Out of curiosity, those of you in the know... what is the single horizontal red light on the rear bumber for?
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Havanahjoe 6:19PM (8/23/2006)
A lot of european cars (if not all) have a rear fog light so I'm guessing that's what that is.
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Ido 6:27PM (8/23/2006)
Tri-Bo:, If I'm not mistaken, it is a rear fog light. Perhaps it isn't necessary in Japan, so Daihatsu had to put it somewhere in order the Ttrevis will meet the european regulations
p.s.
Sorry for the lousy English
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Tri-Bob 6:30PM (8/23/2006)
Thanks for the response, this is the type of car America needs to buy more of.
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tcc3 6:33PM (8/23/2006)
The SMART will only be a test of trendy people with too much money. It just costs too much. It doesnt offer that much better gas mileage over a "real sized" hybrid or turbo deisel. I'd love a smart if it were under $15k or got > 50 mpg.
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Richard Warren 6:56PM (8/23/2006)
#10 parking light for when car is parked at curb, some european countries still require them, some still alloow reflectors.
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cowboy bob 7:07PM (8/23/2006)
Post 13 is quite correct. This is an attractive eco car, providing it is utilized in an appropriate manner. I would be interested at this price, but to compare it to the Smart, with it's cost basis, is just not reasonable. Compared to a Chevy Aveo, or a Ford Focus, it does offer advantages. Like another 15-20 MPG for instance. We, in the US, are just not smart enough to go for this. "Oh well, put some wax on my Denali Santo".
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Bill 7:34PM (8/23/2006)
In some ways it reminds more of a shrunken London Cab than a Mini.
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Clarence 7:49PM (8/23/2006)
12. Thanks for the response, this is the type of car America needs to buy more of.
Nah, life is too short. Americans should buy what they want to buy, not what you think they should. No disrespect intended.
Personally I prefer very small cars, but this one is just not quite funky enough for me. I want my little cars to be unique, not impersonators.
Wherever they sell this car, I would like be the aftermarket developer of a cheap replacement grill and a premium tough grille that will do the job--rebar criss-cross.
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dave 7:52PM (8/23/2006)
what's with you guys? they put anything on this post and people rave about it. it's ugly, tiny, ugly, underpowered, ugly, no room, ugly, and did i mention ugly. good god i'd hate to wreck in one of these, let alone be the driver or passenger in one that get's t-boned. i swear, these manufacturers just come up with the worst designed garbage and laugh at all the fools that buy them.
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Ryan 8:01PM (8/23/2006)
"4. With no bumpers to speak of, it looks like repairing the bodywork after typical urban fender benders could be pretty expensive. I presume it meets impact regulations, but you're still sacrificing the unibody panels rather than a bumper assembly.
Posted at 5:19PM on Aug 23rd 2006 by BCM 0 stars"
-I wonder does the Mazda 3 have a "real" front bumper? Or 1995-1999 Mitsubishi Eclipse?
"17. what's with you guys? they put anything on this post and people rave about it. it's ugly, tiny, ugly, underpowered, ugly, no room, ugly, and did i mention ugly. good god i'd hate to wreck in one of these, let alone be the driver or passenger in one that get's t-boned. i swear, these manufacturers just come up with the worst designed garbage and laugh at all the fools that buy them.
Posted at 7:52PM on Aug 23rd 2006 by dave 0 stars"
Good Christ, what are you so butthurt over?
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