Toyota’s small-car division to take on Suzuki Jimny with city 4×4 – report

Daihatsu – the small-car division of Japanese car giant Toyota – is reportedly developing a city SUV with styling intended to rival the popular Suzuki Jimny small 4x4.

But while the Suzuki Jimny is built to go off-road – with a ladder-frame chassis and four-wheel drive that can keep up with larger 4x4s off the tarmac – reputable Japanese media outlet Best Car claims Daihatsu’s offering will not be able to replicate its established rival’s credentials.

According to the outlet, the as-yet-unnamed model will offer Jimny-inspired looks, but may not be fitted with four-wheel drive.

Best Car says it is likely to be based on the Daihatsu New Global Architecture (DNGA) – a platform which underpins the brand’s smallest vehicles, including those which comply with Japan’s ‘kei car’ regulations which unlock lower tax rates to vehicles which fit within certain dimensions.

The car-maker has used the DNGA platform in the recent past to take on Suzuki – pitting its ‘Taft’ micro SUV against Suzuki's retro-styled ‘Hustler’ – though it does not have a ‘ladder frame’ chassis like the underpinnings of the Jimny.

The publication claims the Daihatsu small SUV will boast performance “compatible with city driving and rough roads”, with its body featuring a ‘wild design’.

A four-wheel-drive system used by the Daihatsu Taft has been suggested for the small off-roader, however it is not confirmed – and other details such as its engine and other specifications are yet to be made official.

In Japan, the Suzuki Jimny is available with a 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine – as found in Australian-delivered examples – or a 658cc three-cylinder turbocharged engine, allowing it to comply with the country’s kei car regulations with its wheel-arch extensions removed.

While the Daihatsu Taft is exclusively powered by an identically-sized 658cc three-cylinder engine (in both turbo and non-turbo guises), the DNGA platform can accept engines as large as 1.5-litre four-cylinder units, such as in the Toyota Yaris Cross sold in South-East Asian markets, which is unrelated to the version sold in Australia and Europe.

The possibility of Daihatsu taking on Suzuki is despite Toyota holding a 4.9 per cent stake in Suzuki since August 2019.

Overseas, certain Toyota and Suzuki models are also rebadged to be sold by the other brand – including the Toyota Corolla (Suzuki Swace), Toyota RAV4 plug-in hybrid (Across) and Suzuki Baleno (Toyota Starlet).