Daihatsu Tanto Exe

The Daihatsu Tanto Exe is the Daihatsu that answered a simple question — how much car can this badge carry? — with 43 kW from Petrol engine. It was built from 2009 to 2015, in the decade of stability control, dual-clutch gearboxes and the first serious hybrids. The shape is credited to Yuji Kitagawa (all models) / Shun Ohoka and Takahiro Masuda (regular model).

How it came about

The Daihatsu Tanto Exe (Japanese: ダイハツ・タントエグゼ, Hepburn: Daihatsu Tanto Eguze) is a kei car manufactured by the Japanese carmaker Daihatsu. The Tanto Exe made its debut at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show and was launched on 24 December 2009. It was also sold by Subaru as the Subaru Lucra (Japanese: スバル・ルクラ, Hepburn: Subaru Rukura), which was launched on 20 April 2010. It was based on the L375 series Tanto and designed to compete with models such as the Honda Life, Nissan Moco and Suzuki Wagon R. The Tanto Exe was more comfort-oriented than the standard Tanto which more oriented for a flexible seat arrangement and maximum interior space.

The left sliding door had also been eliminated for a more common side-hinged doors that reduces the weight by 60 kg (132 lb). The Tanto Exe/Lucra Custom, a sports-oriented version of the Tanto Exe/Lucra with sports styling, was also available. The Tanto Exe/Lucra series was available in two engine options: a naturally aspirated 658 cc KF-VE and a turbocharged 658 cc KF-DET three-cylinder petrol units mated to a continuously variable transmission on front-wheel drive models and 4-speed automatic unit on four-wheel drive models. The Tanto Exe series was discontinued on 2 October 2014, due to declining sales caused by the launch of the LA600 series Tanto a year earlier. The Lucra series followed it into retirement later, on 1 April 2015, due to changing tax consumption rules.

The hardware

The engine is Petrol engine; the output is 43 kW; other versions carried different engines, listed in the specification table below. On the scales it comes to 870 –. That is roughly 49 horsepower per tonne: leisurely, which for a car of its age and purpose is the point. Drive goes through a Continuously variable transmission / CVT (FWD) / 4-speed Automatic transmission / automatic (4WD). The wheelbase is 2490 mm. These are manufacturer figures carried by Wikipedia and Wikidata, not road-test measurements.

Family and rivals

In the Daihatsu line-up the Daihatsu Tanto Exe has a clear place: it handed the line to the Daihatsu Tanto#LA600 / Daihatsu Tanto (LA600) / Subaru Chiffon#LA600 / Subaru Chiffon (LA600) (Lucra); the factory was Nakatsu, Ōita (Daihatsu Motor Kyushu), Japan. The cars a buyer would have weighed it against include the Changan Automobile Changan Alsvin, the Toyota Etios, the Lexus CT. Its Daihatsu stablemates include the Daihatsu Applause and the Daihatsu Atrai.