Daihatsu Mira Cocoa

Every car is an argument about what matters, and the Daihatsu Mira Cocoa makes its case with Petrol engine and 38 kW. Daihatsu built from 2009 to 2018 — in the decade of stability control, dual-clutch gearboxes and the first serious hybrids. Its designer of record is Takahiro Masuda and Taku Iwamura.

The story

The Daihatsu Mira Cocoa (Japanese: ダイハツ・ミラココア, Hepburn: Daihatsu Mira Kokoa) is a kei car built by the Japanese carmaker Daihatsu from 2009 to 2018. Based on the L275 series Mira, it replaced the Mira Gino in the Daihatsu's lineup, complete with retro-inspired styling. With its cute, "warm and modern" design, Daihatsu was explicitly aiming at female buyers. It was launched in August 2009 and went on sale in September. The name "Cocoa" comes from hot cocoa and was intended to convey a warm, relaxing atmosphere.

The grade levels offered were L, X, Plus L, Plus X and range-topping Plus G, all powered by the 38 kW (52 PS) 658 cc KF-VE three-cylinder petrol engine. The higher equipped Plus models were fitted with roof rails, and received more comfortable seat fabrics, fuller instrumentation, and a split-folding rear seat rather than the single-folding seat of the L and X models. Special editions and two-tone variants were added later in the run. The Cocoa's main competitor was the Suzuki Alto Lapin, also with distinctly retro styling. The production of the Mira Cocoa as well as the regular Mira of this generation ended in March 2018. The Mira Cocoa was replaced by the Mira Tocot.

What is underneath

Under the skin sits Petrol engine; it is rated at 38 kW; other versions carried different engines, listed in the specification table below. Kerb weight is 780 –. Power-to-weight lands near 49 horsepower per tonne, which is leisurely, which for a car of its age and purpose is the point. The gearbox is a 4-speed Automatic transmission / automatic / Continuously variable transmission / CVT. The wheelbase is 2490 mm. These are manufacturer figures carried by Wikipedia and Wikidata, not road-test measurements.

Its place in the line

Where it sits in Daihatsu's history is not in doubt: the Daihatsu Mira Gino came before it; the Daihatsu Mira Tocot followed it; it was built at Nakatsu, Ōita (Daihatsu Motor Kyushu), Japan. On a showroom list of its day it stood against the Toyota Etios, the Honda Brio, the Honda N-Box. Nearby in the Daihatsu catalogue sit the Daihatsu Applause and the Daihatsu Atrai.