Daihatsu Copen & HVS

[HarleyEarl]

Copen:



HVS:



Daihatsu's new target


Further on our previous news, Daihatsu Motor Co.,Ltd has issued the following press release:
Daihatsu today announced that it will exhibit three concept cars, the D-Compact 4X4, HVS and Copen ZZ; an evolution of its compact sports car, the Copen, with a 1.3-litre engine; an innovative two-stroke engine technology called the 2CDDI-II and a facelift of is flagship compact car, the Cuore, along with several of its popular production models at the 61st Frankfurt Motor Show (IAA), which runs from 13 September to 25 September.

World Premiere: D-Compact 4X4 — more than just a concept vehicle
1. Concept
SUVs are popular for their strong and macho image. But at the same time there are many people who feel that SUVs are not particularly easy to drive in everyday situations.

But even among these people who would rather drive a passenger car on a regular basis on account of its ease of handling, there are many who wouldn’t mind driving an SUV when they are on a snowy road because the latter would be safer in such a situation. The D-Compact 4X4 is Daihatsu’s proposal for a new compact SUV featuring powerful, dynamic and advanced styling.
Wrapped in a stylish body, the D-Compact 4X4 offers pure sport utility capability plus ease of use in town. Reconciling these seemingly contradictory criteria, the D-Compact 4X4 proposes a brand new SUV concept that combines typical SUV strengths with the agility to cope with any road condition and enough manoeuvrability to enable stress-free driving in congested city streets.

2. Interior and exterior: a new SUV style that’s powerful, dynamic and advanced.
The D-Compact 4X4 is not only ideal for off-road driving but also great for negotiating city streets. Thanks to the large diameter tyres arranged at the four corners of the body, the D-Compact 4X4 drives with agility and stability in all kinds of road conditions.
A long wheelbase and super-short overhangs give this car a uniquely proportioned form that simply oozes presence in any off-road or on-road situations. Powerful bumpers and muscular wheel-arch flares contribute to the D-Compact 4X4’s strong SUV character. The D-Compact 4X4 is also designed to be a compact SUV with a stylish character that sparkles even in the middle of the city. The flowing lines that extend from the A-pillars to the roof ends, the roundish and modern front face, and the wedge-shaped belt lines and side character lines add up to a dynamic and sophisticated style.
The roomy and comfortable interior features sharp and clear-cut design controls that make operating this vehicle a pure joy. Sit yourself in the driver’s seat and grab the steering wheel, and you will be filled with the anticipation of an exciting drive in the D-Compact 4X4.

3. Packaging and the ease of use
A compact body and highly efficient packaging exceeding even that of a higher-class vehicle

The D-Compact 4X4’s long wheelbase and short overhangs contribute not only to its beautifully proportioned styling but also to its comfortable interior and ease of use. The D-Compact 4X4 has sufficient room to seat five adults in comfort in addition to ample space for luggage. The seats can be arranged in a variety of formations to accommodate different combinations of people and luggage. The luggage compartment has also been given a flat floor so that the entire storage space can be used more efficiently.

4. Power train
The D-Compact 4X4 is powered by a newly developed 1.5-litre engine that’s compact and offers an excellent overall balance. Rich torque in the low to medium rev range ensures powerful thrust when starting from standing, and overtaking at high speed is also a breeze. In all kinds of driving situations, this new engine provides the vehicle with a powerful SUV performance.

The full time 4WD with a centre differential lock is a reliable feature when driving in tricky situations such as at high speed, over rough terrain and on slippery roads. When cornering, the centre differential lock is activated to prevent the tight-corner braking phenomenon. When a wheel on one side of the vehicle gets stuck in the mud, the driver can simply turn on the centre differential lock switch and escape easily. The D-Compact 4X4’s compact yet powerful 1.5-litre engine promises power in off-road driving and agility in city driving.

5. Safety
Many people have a positive safety image concerning SUVs because of their ruggedness, good visibility and off-road capability. The D-Compact 4X4 does not betray their expectations.

For enhanced occupant safety, the D-Compact 4X4 is wrapped in a safety body that provides increased cabin strength and is equipped with safety features including curtain-shield airbags, a soft upper interior and an airbag-cut-off switch. In addition, VSC (Vehicle Stability Control) is employed to control the movement of the vehicle in all directions for even greater safety. VSC increases safety on slippery road surfaces such as on snow-covered roads or when making sharp turns at high speed. The D-Compact 4X4 also includes state-of-the-art technologies to protect pedestrians, including bonnet hinges, wings and a bonnet that are crushable as well as a shock-absorbing structure. The D-Compact 4X4’s pedestrian-protection performance proved to be on a par with Euro NCAP’s three-star rating in the tests conducted by Daihatsu.

World Premiere: HVS (Hybrid Vehicle Sports) Concept
1. Concept
Delivering powerful and exciting driving experience of a 2.0-litre car with better fuel economy than a 1.0-litre car, and high-speed cornering performance using electromagnetic torque-control mechanisms that work on the right and left rear wheels independently Have you ever thought that although sports cars are cool, the fun of driving is not a high priority when you think about the environment?

Reconciling environmental compatibility and sporty driving is not actually a difficult thing. By employing a hybrid technology, Daihatsu has achieved excellent environmental compatibility together with quick acceleration and the excitement of sports car driving. The HVS (Hybrid Vehicle Sports) pursues the utility and economy of the compact car while at the same time achieving the excitement of a sports car. It reconciles the joy of driving a sports car and the need to protect the environment at a high level. It’s a new lightweight sports car born out of Daihatsu’s passion to create a truly environmentally friendly compact sports car.

2. A hybrid system and a new 1.5-litre DVVT engine
A hybrid system optimised for sports driving (achieving both a low fuel consumption of 4.1 litres/100 km and quick standing start acceleration) The HVS’s power unit is an advanced hybrid system that combines two motors in the front plus an additional motor in the rear. This electrically operated 4WD transmits torque to the wheels with minimum loss to deliver a safe driving performance.

Thanks to its lightweight compact body and the use of hybrid technology, the HVS boasts a fuel consumption of only 4.1 litres/100 km (EU combined mode) and CO2 emissions of only 101 g/km — both amazingly low for a sports car.

Combined with this hybrid unit is a newly developed 1.5-litre petrol engine with DVVT. Fine tuned for the HVS, this engine runs on premium petrol and is equipped with a special design muffler. The HVS delivers powerful standing start and overtaking acceleration in the low to medium speed range as well as lasting acceleration even at high speed. Whatever your speed range, this engine lets you enjoy sports driving with stress-free acceleration and power to spare. It’s an ideal power unit for a lightweight sports car.

2005-09-14
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Edited September 17, 2005 by HarleyEarl

[AAS]

it's interesting, except that it looks like a Miata with major hints of 350Z and last gen. Eclipse in the front and Z3 in the back

[CSpec]

I liked the old Copen a lot more.

[Cremazie]

Holy god, is that ever the ugliest thing I have ever seen. It has potential, but what it with the rear end?

[the_yellow_dart]

I think it's doing a good job of Copen' with being ugly! Sorry, couldn't resist.

[HarleyEarl]

ouch lol.....is it ugly or just slightly unusual? I don't find it offensive....just more to the odd side of things. Actually the interior is not bad.

[tama z71]

Isnt daihatsu owned by toyota? The HVAC controls look alot like the ones out of the yaris.

[HarleyEarl]

I think there is some connection with Toyota.

[Northstar]

It's probably really light and fun to drive, but it looks terrible. For some reason no Toyota can seem to look good these days.

[pow]

Holy god, is that ever the ugliest thing I have ever seen.
It has potential, but what it with the rear end?

[post="14141"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

More folding metal roof stuff... they only look right on Mercs for some reason.

[Northstar]

Folding hartops look fine on most 2-seat roadsters. It's when you get into 2+2 coupes that they look odd.

[HarleyEarl]

The HVS seems to look better in these photos:

[mjdecker]

The Copen looks like a VW Beetle and the HVS look like a BMW Z4 Edited September 19, 2005 by Decka

[NOS2006]

HVS looks like something I think gt1750 has drawn before... :blink:

[ToniCipriani]

I think there is some connection with Toyota.

[post="14207"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

It is owned by Toyota. Daihatsus are sold alongside with Toyotas in Hong Kong by the sole importer of Toyota, Crown Motors.

[C.H.U.D.]

The HVS' fenders look like the Plymouth Pronto Spyder concept.