1996 Daihatsu Hi-jet on 2040-cars

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Toyota's Daihatsu unit halts all vehicle shipments over widespread safety cheating

TOKYO — Toyota Motor Corp. said Wednesday its subsidiary Daihatsu will suspend shipments of all its vehicles in and outside Japan in a damaging safety scandal after an investigation found improper testing involving 64 models. The safety test irregularities earlier this year prompted an independent panel investigation, which found widespread and systematic problems. Toyota, citing results of the panel, said its probe found 174 new cases of irregularities in safety test and other procedures in 25 test categories, in addition to the problems reported earlier. “We are sorry to have betrayed the trust of our customers,” Daihatsu President Soichiro Okudaira told a news conference Wednesday. He acknowledged the cheating on safety testing and procedures is tantamount to neglect of safety certificates. “We take it very seriously as the problem that has shaken the foundation of an automaker,” he said. A lawyer and a member of the probe team, Makoto Kaiami, who also attended the news conference, said workers under pressure to meet management demands for tight development deadline resorted to cheating, and that the management should take the blame. The issue first emerged in April when Daihatsu reported improper testing on the door lining. Problems in the side collision testing also surfaced in May, officials said. The problems were found in 64 models and three engines of vehicles, including 22 models and an engine sold by Toyota, the company said in a statement. The investigation also found that the problems involved some models for Mazda Motor Corp. and Subaru Corp. sold at home, as well Toyota and Daihatsu models sold abroad. Daihatsu is Toyota's unit specializing in small cars and trucks that are popular in Japan. Toyota expressed “sincere apologies.” "We believe in order to prevent recurrence, in addition to a review of certification operations, a fundamental reform is needed to revitalize Daihatsu as a company,” Toyota said. Toyota said it will take a significant effort, including a review of management and business operations as well as the organization and its structure, as well as mindset of employees and that the company will provide full support to revitalize Daihatsu. Daihatsu Safety crash test

Junkyard Gem: 1990 Daihatsu Charade SE Hatchback

The third-generation Daihatsu Charade could be purchased in the United States for the 1988 through 1992 model years, but competition against the likes of the Ford Festiva, Geo Metro, Subaru Justy, and Pontiac LeMans proved too tough for the relatively unknown Japanese marque. You won't see many Charades (or Rockies) today, but this gold '90 Charade manage to avoid the crusher until age 27. The Charade name is up there with Achieva, Starion, ETC, and Aspire, when it comes to model names from the "what could they have been thinking?" category. Like the Metro and Justy, the Charade's standard engine was a straight-three driving the front wheels. This engine was good for 53 horsepower, compared to 66 in the Justy and 55 in the Metro. An optional four-cylinder making 80 hp was available. The Charade listed for $6,497 in 1990, which is about $12,000 in inflation-adjusted 2017 dollars. The '90 Geo Metro was $6,995 and the Justy was a mere $6,295. This Charade never even made it to 100,000 miles, which may or may not be indicative of its build quality. Daihatsu USA tried to make the brand's obscurity a selling point in this 1991 ad, but the company was gone after the following year. Related Video: Featured Gallery Junked 1990 Daihatsu Charade View 17 Photos Auto News Daihatsu Automotive History

Daihatsu's Move Canbus could very well be the world's cutest car

The Daihatsu Move Canbus is too adorable to ignore, even though don't frequently cover cars outside of the US market. Just look at its face. It's so cute that fascia just seems too cold a term to use. Those big round headlights and upturned grille make for a relentlessly cheerful look. It even has a little circular chrome badge for a nose! The bleakest Monday morning would be a little brighter if this was in your driveway to greet you. The cute appearance is enhanced by the cheerful retro colors and additional chrome trim. Even the Canbus's name is positive. Daihatsu's press release explains that it combines the verb "can" to describe the van's ability to do almost anything, with the noun "bus" to describe the shape of the car. This car literally has can-do attitude in the name. It's also the name for the internal communications hub for a car's computer, which is totally can-do. Now all the positivity in the world won't let this van accomplish everything. Compared with most vehicles from other markets, the Move Canbus a miniscule car. It falls into the "kei" class of Japanese cars which are incredibly small and have an engine displacement limit of 660cc. It makes good use of its limited space though. The rear seats can slide fore and aft to allow for more cargo space or rear legroom. It also has little drawers under the seats for extra storage, and they can slide out to hold bags. Plus, check out the retro interior with bench seats front and rear. Those seats can also be decked out with washable covers in four styles, including, for some reason, licensed Disney designs. We're not saying we think this van should come here, even though it totally should. As much as the Autoblog staff loves tiny Japanese cars, they're not safe in the land of F-450s and Ram Power Wagons. However, we want to acknowledge interesting car design, which this Daihatsu has, and we wouldn't mind seeing another company's take on the look. In fact, we believe a certain German automaker would be the perfect candidate for producing cute, retro van. Related Video: