Adding to the unusually high number of new
car reveals at the Tokyo Auto Salon was the Daihatsu Taft Concept, which
previewed a crossover-style kei car due to be introduced in the middle of the
year. The latter is entering a market currently occupied by the Suzuki Hustler
and should provide some decent competition.
The Taft moniker was first used on a 4×4
SUV introduced in 1974, where it stood for Tall & Almighty Four-wheel
Touring Vehicle. Since this new one is likely to be offered as a front-wheel
drive model (with optional all-wheel drive, as is usual in Japan), the
backronym has been changed to Tall & Almighty Fun Tool.
Despite being a show car, the Taft Concept
was essentially a production-friendly version of the WakuWaku concept that was
shown at the Tokyo Motor Show in October. It sported a similarly buff front
end, featuring octagonal headlights and a beefy bumper, plus boxy black plastic
fender flares and an upright glasshouse. This particular unit also came with a
grille-like chrome appliqué that gave the car a Jeep-like look.
Unlike the WakuWaku, which has hidden rear
door handles and orange panelling instead of rear side windows, the Taft had
regular pull handles. The leading edge of the rear windows was also slanted to
add some visual drama, while the tail lights were C-shaped with triple vertical
blocks that mirrored the front LED daytime running lights. Acknowledging the
tuner-heavy nature of the show, Daihatsu fitted the car with some pretty
serious-looking 15-inch Work Crag T-Grabic wheels.
The cubic aesthetic continued on the
inside, where the Taft exhibited a blocky dashboard with vertical
orange-trimmed air vents. The centre console was particularly striking, with an
orange rectangle surrounding the right air vent (the left vent is horizontal)
and gearlever. A touchscreen display panel sat on top of the dash, and there
was also a large glass roof and what Daihatsu called a “flat, easy-to-use
luggage space.” No technical details have been released, but the Taft should
use the KF range of 658 cc naturally-aspirated and turbocharged engines to
comply with kei car regulations.
