Daihatsu Prepares Three Tiny New “Kei” Cars for the Tokyo Auto Show

Japanese automaker <a title="Daihatsu" href="http://www.daihatsu.com/" target="_blank">Daihatsu</a> has been making ultra-compact <a title="Wikipedia: kei car" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kei_car" target="_blank">"kei" cars</a> for years, and it looks like the rest of the world is just now catching on to the miniature green trend. Dozens of automakers are bringing <a title="Inhabitat: tokyo motor show" href="http://inhabitat.com/index.php?s=tokyo+motor+show" target="_blank">city cars</a> to this year's <a title="Tokyo Motor Show" href="http://www.tokyo-motorshow.com/en/" target="_blank">Tokyo Motor Show</a>, and Daihatsu is continuing its kei car line by bringing three new mini EVs and fuel cells to the show. They are the FC Shocase, which looks like a cross between an iPhone and a taco truck, the mini Pico tandem two-seater EV, and the D-X (pronounced D-Cross) sports car.

The side of the FC ShowCase looks like the cover of a smartphone with a digital display running along the side. When open, the vehicle displays a large screen and can be used to sell a myriad of items on the street.

The FC ShoCase allows for a flat-bottomed vehicle with display screen or a two-row seating configuration for travel.

It appears that the Pico displays its own speed on the exterior of the vehicle. We suppose that's not such an issue in the environments this car will travel through, since speeding won't even be an option.

The Daihatsu Pico is a tandem two-seater car with a digital ticker display wrapped around its body.

The D-X has many similarities with the Honda S line of small sports cars, but it features massive bumpers for style and tight parking situations.

We love how Daihatsu is choosing to display a wide variety of small cars, from traditional two-seater sports car to city car to mini commercial vehicle.