Autoblog

As Autoblog's resident kei car fanboy, I like to share news and links about the diminutive forbidden-fruit rides whenever something interesting pops on the radar, like yesterday. Today, it's just a photo, courtesy of the gang at Speedhunters. The tiny kei pickup is a Suzuki Carry, which, in the hands of a normal business owner, does precisely that. This one's obviously a wee bit more specialized though, as the rear wing and roll bar suggest. This little work truck's job is drifting. It might look wrong, but there's something so right about it. Who says you need triple-digit horsepower to have fun?

[Source: Speedhunters]

Click image to enlarge

Somewhere, our pal Mike Bumbeck is smiling, because Mitsubishi has produced yet another vehicle worthy of its classic "Super Potential" slogan. No, there's no new-fangled Starion, unfortunately, but there is now an i MiEV police car. Mitsubishi has supplied one of the teensy EVs to the Kanagawa Prefecture police, who will test it through March of next year. Sure, it's not particularly intimidating, but it is (ahem) arrestingly cute. As mentioned at AutoblogGreen, we'd have had that battery pack power a set of on-board tasers, too. Talk about missed opportunities...

[Source: Mitsubishi via AutoblogGreen]

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Suzuki Wagon R and Stingray Limited

In Japan, Suzuki expects the Wagon R to eclipse the 3,000,000 units sold milestone this month. To commemorate, it has launched Limited versions of both the Wagon R and its Stingray variant (whose front-end styling looks very similar to the old Toyota bB). The new limited edition variants give Japanese drivers slightly flashier boxes in which to transport themselves. Among the features included in the cars' special packages are new grilles and foglamps, Alcantara-covered seats, leather-wrapped steering wheels with silver contrast stitching, and rearview mirrors with LED turn indicators. The 660cc kei-spec engine is untouched, and the cars can be ordered beginning today. Prices range from ¥1,115,000 for the 2WD Wagon R to ¥1,314,600 for the 4WD Stingray. Needless to say, we want both.


[Source: Suzuki]

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Zest Sports G

This little kei wagon on Matchbox-sized wheels is the Honda Zest Sports G (Dynamic Special), and yes, that parenthetical appears to be part of the official name. What makes it more dynamic and special than the regular Zest Sports? Well, not a whole lot. The Zest Sports G (Dynamic Special) gets new 14" wheels, HID lamps, and body-colored trim just under the main grille. There are five exterior colors, and if you like black interiors, you'll be happy, because that's the only shade offered. Automatic A/C and a CD stereo are included, the latter of which will come in handy when it's time to mask the buzz of the kei-spec 660 cc 3-banger underhood. Best of all, you don't even need to park it. You just call it into its Pokeball, put it in your coat pocket and walk away. OK, not really, but that would have made it totally dynamic and special.


[Source: Honda]

Click the image above for a hi-res gallery of the Nissan Otti and Moco

Kei cars. To know them is to love them, or to tower over them in Gulliver-like wonder. Both the iridescent colored Moco and Otti feature the 0.66-liter engines common to the Kei class, meaning each also boasts 54 thundering mares beneath their ridiculously tiny hoods. Once up to speed, they run nicely, and they're pretty quiet. But these are not cars to take when you're late for anything.

They have lots of room inside and enough controls to operate them on public roads. They are both fine cars. The Otti adds to that with a chic little IP featuring good looking materials and colors, a power rear sliding door on the passenger side that you can open from the driver's seat, a seriously neat set of cupholders, and the world's smallest tailpipe.

Regarding the Moco, a rebadged Suzuki MR Wagon, Nissan says "the current generation model features a stylish exterior and interior." The Otti is Nissan's version of the Mitsubishi eK Wagon. It's described as a minicar "for daily living," and "has experienced extremely strong sales in the Japanese market." Yes. What they said.

You can check out the Nissan 360 event site for more details on all the vehicles in Nissan's lineup. In the mean time, be sure to check out the gallery of hi-res photos below.



Our travel and lodging for this media event was provided by the manufacturer.

click image for hi-res gallery of the Suzuki Palette

Suzuki makes and sells a whole lot of kei-class tall wagons in Japan, thanks to the ever-popular Wagon R and all the variants it has produced. The latest micro-minivan to hit the market is the Palette, which the automaker first showed at last year's Tokyo Motor Show. On sale January 30, the Palette is a tall-roofed four-passenger minivan whose key features are dual sliders (with power available on one or both sides, depending on trim level) and its low, flat load floor. Practicality is king with cars like this, but for buyers interested in having added niceties, the list of standard and available features include keyless entry and start, HID headlamps, different stereo options, and trim-grade-specific exterior styling elements. All are typical of Suzuki's kei car offerings, as are the availability of NA or turbocharged engines, manual and automatic gearboxes, and a choice of 2WD or 4WD. Suzuki doesn't mention power outputs for the engines, but assuming the Palette is to be a kei car, the maximum allowable is 64 hp, which you'd get from the turbo. Chalk up another nifty little city car for Suzuki.

[Source: Suzuki]

Click image for photo gallery

When you boil away everything else, the core elements of the new "Bloom Edition" Mitsubishi kei cars are their Sakura Pink paint; light-colored, water-resistant seat fabrics; and makeup mirrors. Yes, there are other colors available, and we're sure some of the Japanese shoppers (women, specifically) who Mitsu is targeting might also appreciate the cars' UV glass with water-repellent coating (think "factory Rain-X" here). But the real package centers on the Hello Kitty-look that the pink brings.

The Bloom Edition package is available on the "i" (above) and eK Wagon kei cars. It's not uncommon to see keis marketed in pastels with an eye toward female buyers anyway, but these Bloom Editions are about as direct as you can get. Who knew vanity mirrors could actually be promoted as a selling point?

[Source: Mitsubishi]

Click image for photo gallery

We love it when the Japanese auto manufacturers take the box of Alpha-Bits, empty it onto the floor, and then make a car name out of the resulting clutter. Subaru is the current world champion in this regard, having produced the tongue-twistingly wonderfully named WRX STi Spec-C Type RA-R last year. This week, the automaker got busy again, releasing an update to its home-market kei car: the Stella Custom RS S-Edition.

No, it's not compatible with Google Reader. It's really just a new dress-up trim level for the Stella Custom RS. The tall microwagon gets a shot of color inside and some STI-sourced appearance upgrades. It ends there, since upping the performance would take it out of kei car specification. The RS S-Edition is limited to 500 units and includes the following:

• STI chin and roof spoilers
• Leather-wrapped steering wheel and shifter
• STI logo on shifter
• Sport pedals
• Carbon fiber interior trim
• HID low-beam headlamps
• 14" gunmetal aluminum wheels

We have no doubt whatsoever that this will sell out in limited-edition-obsessed Japan. And truthfully, it's kinda cool anyway.

[Source: Subaru]

Click image for one more high-res photo

Behold Mazda's new kei car, the AZ-Wagon. Like its predecessors, the new AZ is simply a rebadged Suzuki Wagon R. In this case, the donor vehicle is the just-introduced Wagon R Stingray, which eschews the standard Wagon R face in favor of a more squared-off ,Toyota bB/Scion xB-like (last-gen, that is) appearance.

Since the AZ-Wagon is a straight rebadge, all the features of the Stingray can be found here, including HID headlamps, black cloth interior, premium audio system (for the turbocharged, direct-injected Custom Style DI model), and keyless entry and start. Unlike its Suzuki twin, the Mazda gets only two kei-spec engines. The Custom Style DI gets the top-end 64 horsepower direct-injected 4-banger, while the Custom Style X receives a normally-aspirated 54-horse 3-cylinder with VVT. (Suzuki buyers get the added choice of a non-direct-injected turbo engine.)

As is always the case, 2WD and AWD are available for both trim levels. The only available transmission is a 4-speed auto. Complete details and pricing can be found after the jump.

[Source: Mazda]

click above image to view high-resolution gallery of the Mitsubishi i

Beginning on July 1st, Brits will be able to purchase the iconic i kei car from Mitsubishi. The i is a big hit in Japan, having won numerous awards for its futuristic styling and clever engineering while racking up big sales in the home market. Mitsubishi has spent the last year shopping the i around Great Britain at the Badminton Horse Trials, the British Motor Show and some select Mitsubishi dealerships, and the response from the public was positive enough to convince management to sell the car on the Queen's isle. It will be available only in one configuration powered by the JDM spec 660cc turbo three-cylinder engine producing an economical though not entirely thrilling 64bhp. Initially, however, only 300 units will be made available for sale at the price of £8,999 ($17,577 USD).

With the success of the MINI Cooper and the impending arrival of the smart fortwo in the U.S., we wonder if there are talks within Mitsubishi to bring the i to the U.S. They'll no doubt be watching sales of the fortwo closely. Check out the official press release after the jump and a high-resolution gallery of the Mitsubishi i.

[Source: Mitsubishi]