Nissan/Mitsubishi joint minicar (DAYZ/eK Wagon)

Didn't see a previous thread on this. I stumbled across http://ajw.asahi.com/article/economy/business/AJ201303090073" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;.

Nissan Motor Co. and Mitsubishi Motors Corp. will release their jointly developed minicars in June, the automakers announced March 8.

Nissan will sell the vehicles under the model name of DAYZ, while Mitsubishi will market it as the eK Wagon.

The two carmakers have cooperated before, with Nissan selling minicars produced by Mitsubishi under original equipment manufacturing (OEM) contracts...

Click to expand...

Re: Nissan/Mitsu cooperation before, there was http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=9395" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; (Mitsubishi Proudia/Dignity aka rebadged Infiniti M/Nissan Fuga). OTOH, not sure if they've done others.

These are yellow plate "Kei" vehicles in Japan’s home market where they qualify for parking exemptions, as well as registration and tax preferences. As with iMiEV, they would require major modification to comply with US regulations, and seem to have limited demand here even with homologation. NHTSA ,IIHS and low demand will keep them out

^^^
Makes sense that you'd know about Kei cars.

After I learned about them, I'd seen a bunch at my previous visits to Tokyo Motor Show. I didn't realize until now (or had just forgotten) that the Daihatsu Copen is apparently a Kei car.

I really do love the Kei class cars. And I think it's a real shame that we'll never see them in the US in large numbers. They'd make excellent commuter cars!

Stumbled across these videos on the DAYZ/eK. Apparently, the 1st ones rolled off the line less than a week ago. I didn't realize that kei cars accounted for 40% of the Japanese car market!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMACHYZ9o7E" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4aLkxCOkCM" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

On this note...

Renault-Nissan, Mitsubishi JV will make global electric 'kei' car:
http://green.autoblog.com/2013/11/07/renault-nissan-mitsubishi-jv-will-make-global-electric-kei-ca/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It seems their collaboration will also result in C and D-segment vehicles, but it doesn't sound like they'll be EVs.