The Covid-19 pandemic may have pushed the 2021 Tokyo Auto Salon into an online-only format, but that did not persuade Daihatsu to let the famous Japanese show "go by without making an impression".
A digital Tokyo Auto Salon 2021, but Daihatsu still turned up
Under the banner "Daihatsu Village Colorful Carnival", Daihatsu prepared a set of five concept cars for Tokyo Auto Salon 2021 that instantly recall the toy cars many of us played with as children (and the ones that fuelled our Christmas wish lists).
From two concepts that do away with the roof entirely to a mini 4x4 that looks like something straight out of a Tomica remote-control range, one thing is clear: Daihatsu’s design team did not run short of ideas.
Roof? Not needed
As mentioned, two of Daihatsu’s Tokyo Auto Salon 2021 concepts completely dispense with the roof (and the windscreen as well). The more traditional of the pair-and the one it would be least surprising to see reach production-is called the Daihatsu Copen Spyder Ver.
Daihatsu Copen Spyder Ver
In essence, it is an even more extreme take on the Japanese brand’s compact roadster. Alongside losing both the roof and windscreen, it features special wheels and, in all likelihood, shares its mechanical package with the Copen GR Sport-meaning a three-cylinder engine with 660 cm³ and 63 cv, paired with a model-specific suspension set-up.
Daihatsu Hijet Truck Sportza Ver
At the other end of the spectrum, the most unusual of the concepts is the Daihatsu Hijet Truck Sportza Ver. Built from the small Hijet pick-up, the Hijet Truck Sportza Ver deletes the roof to create a sort of commercial roadster. Its more extreme look is finished off with a tougher front end, sports seats, red alloy wheels and even side-exit exhausts. As for the engine, it is not known whether anything has changed.
What else is there?
Sharing "the spotlight" with the Hijet Truck Sportza Ver is the Taft Crossfield Ver. With a more outdoorsy appearance-thanks to all-terrain tyres, cut-out bumpers, auxiliary lights and a winch-this mini 4x4 seems ready for an end-of-the-world adventure, and it does not hide its resemblance to the remote-control cars sold by brands such as Tomica.
More restrained, but still appealing, the Daihatsu Hijet Camper Ver underlines that you do not need a huge van to go camping. Also based on the Daihatsu Hijet, it adopts a friendlier look that is less aggressive and less overtly sporty.
Finally, the Daihatsu Thor Premium Ver with D-Sport components is arguably the concept that sticks closest to a traditional tuning approach. As such, it gains lowered suspension, larger wheels, a redesigned bumper and a two-tone paint finish.
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