The Daihatsu Mira has been a mainstay model for one of the oldest engine manufacturers from Japan, Daihatsu. The Japanese carmaker introduced the Mira series in 1980 as the successor of Daihatsu Fellow which eventually became the Daihatsu Max Coure. On its first release, the Mira used the name Mira Cuore but later dropped the Coure surname in 1982 was became known plainly as the Mira since then. In the international markets, it went by the nameplates of Cuore, Domino, and Charade.
Daihatsu built the Mira as a kei car, the smallest class of passenger cars that were legal to drive in the highways of Japan. Since 1980, the Mira received updates and modifications classified into seven generations up to 2009 then further advanced up to the present with the introduction of the Mira e:S that has already had two generations so far.
L55 and L60 Series, 1980-1985
The L50 and L60 series of cars are the same models, with the only difference being that the L60 was the export only version with a slightly bigger engine. The L60, aka L60 Cuore, initially rolled out in 1980 as a five-door hatchback.
The L50 came with a two-cylinder 547cc petrol engine designated as AB10 coupled with a four-speed manual gearbox and had a front-wheel-drive configuration. It had an advertised power of 23 kW and torque of 41 N⋅m, and it could propel the car to a maximum top speed of 110 km/h.
In 1982, Daihatsu introduced a bigger displacement engine of 617cc for the export version now designated the L60. In some countries, both were available as the Cuore 550 which was the three-door body version with the 547cc engine. The Coure 623 was the three-door body version with the bigger 617cc, while the Coure 625 was the five-door body with this same engine. During this year, a new sporty version of the Mira entered the Japanese domestic market for the three-door version and was fitted with a 5-speed manual gearbox and sported radial tyres.
The 1983 model year received a further upgrade, adding a turbo to the base 2-cylinder engine and was now capable of producing 30 kW of power. Also, during this time, a four-wheel-drive version became available. Standard transmission package offered by this time was the 2-speed automatic.
During the final year of production for the L55/L60 series, Daihatsu launched a special edition called the Mira Parco, which marked the collaboration of Parco Clothing and Daihatsu. The Mira Parco had 10-inch alloy wheels with radial tyres. A few other additions besides the Parco-made interior included front disc brakes and air conditioning, which was now standard.
L70/L80 Series, 1985-1990
The second-generation Mira had its introduction in mid-1985 and now had a longer wheelbase, increased by 100mm to 2,250mm from the previous 2,150 mm. The Mira badge was still for the commercial version, while the Coure remained as the nameplate for the passenger car version. The Mira had removable rear seats which folded to produce a flat loading surface at the rear. Available body styles during this time were the three-door hatchback, the five-door hatchback and the Mira Van. A four-wheel-drive version of the Mira Van, designated as the L71V, was also available.
The engine was now changed from the previous two-cylinder to a three-cylinder version but still maintaining a displacement of 547cc with an increase of power to 28 kW. A turbocharged version was available for the three-door Mira and produced 38 kW of power. These engines came with choices of either a four-speed or five-speed manual or a two-speed automatic.
A five-door van commonly called a “walk-through” van joined the fleet in 1986 with a folding rear door as an option. 1987 saw the introduction of a new grille and bonnet design as an update to the car’s appearance.
The export version L80 had under its bonnet an 847cc three-cylinder engine with the same transmission options as the domestic L70. Another version of this engine had its displacement reduced to 796cc to cater to the Swiss market, which imposed a lower tax for vehicles with less than 800cc.
The special edition Mira Parco again became available in 1988, all painted in black for the exterior. It came in two interior colour editions, the first with a multi-colour palette and the second edition in bright blue. A third version of the Mira Parco came equipped with a turbocharged engine in a four-wheel-drive configuration.
In late 1988, Daihatsu produced the Mira Sedan TR/CR powered with a turbocharged engine and was available in either three-door or five-door hatch version. The company released the L70 design in Thailand for a further five years, designating it as the Mira P1. Still based on the L70, the P1 featured a pickup bed with a tailgate. The Mira pickup design also reached the Philippines but with a 659cc engine.
L200 Series, 1990-1994
For the first time, Daihatsu has stopped using Cuore and adapted the Mira name for the full line of the L200 series, with the distinction between the commercial and passenger models becoming more limited. The models for the export market wore the designation of L201.
Several variants more came in, generally classed into the two major series, the "V" and the "S". The V series vehicles are light commercial vans that featured fold-down rear bench seats that gave a flat loading floor. The walk-through van version was still available and was a preferred version for conversions to various combinations of windows and doors tailored for commercial needs.
The L200 Series continued to be available as a three-door or five-door hatch with an 846cc petrol engine producing 30 kW. Transmissions offered were the 5-speed manual or 3-speed automatic. The 4-speed automatic was limited to the turbocharged versions.
The L201 export version was mainly exported to Europe, Australia and Japan but has also made its way to several other countries. The L201 was also produced in Malaysia as the Perodua Kancil and was continually produced up to 2009.
L500 Series, 1994-1998
In 1994, the Japanese automaker produced the L500 series, still closely resembling its predecessor and now called the Mira Moderno. Engine options were the 659cc inline-3 cylinder, 659cc inline-4 and the 847cc inline-3. Transmission options were the 3-speed automatic, 4-speed automatic, 4-speed manual and 5-speed manual. In 1996, the 847cc 3-cylinder received an upgrade to a twin-cam 12-valve version.
Toyota Indus Motor Company produced the L500 Mira, aka Daihatsu Charade Centro in Australia and Norkis Legacy in the Philippines, for three years starting in 2000 powered by an 847cc carburetted engine version.
L700 Series, 1998-2001
Now sporting more rounded contours, the L700 series still had the classic 659cc inline-3, the 847cc inline-3 but now was also available with a 989cc inline-3. Transmission options are still the same as previous L500 series. The Japanese versions were limited to the 659cc engine.
The 4-wheel-drive versions used the L710 chassis code. Meanwhile, production of the L700 Mira ceased in Japan in 2001 but continued in Malaysia as Perodua Kelisa until 2007. Its other names include the Domino in Cyprus, the Cuore name in some countries, and the Handivan elsewhere.
A variant named Mira Gino replaced the Mira Classic in 1999. Engine and transmission options remained the same except for the Japanese market where the 989cc engine was available for a while as the Mira Gino 1000.
L250 Series, 2002-2006
The sixth generation still came by the Mira name in Japan but also as the Daihatsu Charade in the UK and South Africa, with the Cuore name retained in other countries. The venerable 659cc inline-3 continued to power the Japanese Mira, while the export version L251 used the 989cc engine. The Japanese 4-wheel-drive version had the designation of L260.
In 2005, Daihatsu introduced the Mira Avy, which was distinguishable by its much sharper rake on its front windscreen making it look sportier. A special version called the Mira Friend-Matic was released in 2006 and continually produced till 2009. It catered to the handicapped as this car is drivable from a self-powered wheelchair.
L275 Series, 2006-2018
The last generation of the Mira was only available initially as a passenger car, with the van version appearing a year after. The same engine as previous models still powered the Japanese domestic version but the export version, L276, now came with a Toyota inline-3 996cc. Transmission options included the 5-speed manual, 3-speed automatic, or the continuous variable transmission. The production of the Mira ceased in March 2018.
LA300 Series, Mira e:S First Generation, 2011-2017
The “Eco and Smart” Mira e:S concept car debuted in the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show. It incorporated the latest technology owned by Daihatsu, the i-EGR system, to produce a vehicle that would be as fuel-efficient as possible. Its design improved on aerodynamics to achieve good wind flow. The third part of their equation is Daihatsu’s Eco Idle and Eco Power Generation Control.
There were two Mira e:S versions produced by Daihatsu, the Mira e:S D (LA 300s) and the Mira e:S XF "Limited SA" (LA310S). Toyota also built them with the rebrand of Pixis Epoch (LA300A) and likewise with Subaru as the Pleo Plus (LA300F). These cars were available in either 2WD or 4WD versions.
LA350 Series, 2017-Present
The second and current generation of the Mira e:S was introduced in 2017 and is the current Mira model. This car has been widely accepted in Japan and the rest of the world mainly for its fuel efficiency and roomy exterior, especially for a mini car. It is available in either the 2-wheel drive or 4-wheel drive versions.
The interior is visually appealing and seats four people comfortably. Aside from the hybrids and electric cars, this car is one of the most fuel-efficient and eco-friendly automobiles available in the market today.
The Mira started as a Kei car for the Japanese. It has now evolved into a Kei car for the world.
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-Jarad