The Japanese domestic market never ceases to amaze us and, when it comes to four-wheeled oddities coming from the Land of the Rising Sun, you can’t go wrong with Mitsuoka. As a sign of the times, the small automaker and coachbuilder is releasing its first SUV, the Mitsuoka Buddy. As you can imagine, it’s far from your average Japanese SUV despite being based on one of the most common vehicles of this type.
While the press release makes no mention
of the Toyota RAV4 being used as a base for the Mitsuoka Buddy, the side
profile and engine lineup give it away. The company wanted to build an
American-style SUV, so it decided to graft completely different front and rear
ends onto the RAV4.
At the front, the Mitsuoka Buddy reminds
of the 1990s Chevrolet Tahoe thanks to the big chrome grille and split squared
headlights. Seen from the side, the front end is also more upright than on the
standard RAV4. Out back, the Buddy features vertical taillights, a redesigned
tailgate and a chrome add-on bumper on top of the factory item.
We don’t get to see the interior yet, but
we should expect Mitsuoka to leave its imprint on the cabin as well. For now,
the company has announced the color palette, which consists of 11 monotone body
colors and six two-tone liveries. As with the donor vehicle, the engine lineup
consists of a 171 PS 2.0-liter petrol engine (offered in 20LX, 20DX
and 20ST trim levels) and a 178 PS 2.5-liter hybrid (available in
Hybrid DX and Hybrid ST grades). Mitsuoka will start accepting reservations for
the Buddy SUV on November 26, when it will also reveal its pricing.
