With kei cars on the rise, Daihatsu Move gained considerable recognition. The main reason for this warm reception was the fact that the Move was a very economical car. After its launch, it sold more than 500,000 units in the first three years. The vehicle comes standard with a front-wheel-drive with a four-wheel-drive variant offered as an option.
History
Daihatsu pitted the Move in 1995 against the Suzuki Wagon R. It is 5-door hatchback based on the Mira but with a slightly taller body. Over the years, Daihatsu introduced different variations of this car, including some custom versions. The price, cabin height, and fuel economy of this kei/city car added to its popularity.
First Generation (1995-1998)
The L601 (L600 in Japan) model was introduced as part of the first generation, followed by its variant called the Move Custom. The variant had larger headlamps with brushed-up front styling. The powertrains that are available for the Move range include the following:
- 658cc EF-GL 3-cyl petrol engine, 5-speed manual, 3-speed automatic, or 4-speed automatic transmission
- 658cc EF-ZL 3-cyl petrol engine, 5-speed manual, 3-speed automatic, or 4-speed automatic transmission
- 658cc JB-JL 4-cyl turbocharged petrol engine, 5-speed manual, 3-speed automatic, or 4-speed automatic transmission (47kW)
- 847cc ED-20 3-cyl petrol engine, 5-speed manual, 3-speed automatic, or 4-speed automatic transmission (32kW)
Australia only had this generation of the Move city car, which featured four seats, driver’s airbag, radio cassette with two speakers, and roof racks. The 847cc ED-20 powered it, paired with either 5-speed manual or 3-speed automatic transmission.
Second Generation (1998-2002)
The L900 belongs to the class of subcompact minivan or multipurpose vehicle. This generation had an increased kerb. Variants different slightly in height, measuring 1695 mm, 1670 mm and 1650 mm.
The powertrains that are available in the market include the following:
- 658cc EF-SE 3-cyl petrol engine, 5-speed manual, 3-speed automatic, 4-speed automatic or CVT (33kW)
- 658cc EF-VE 3-cyl petrol engine, 5-speed manual, 3-speed automatic, 4-speed automatic or CVT (43kW)
- 658cc EF-DET 3-cyl turbocharged petrol engine, 5-speed manual, 3-speed automatic, 4-speed automatic or CVT (47kW)
- 658cc JB-DET 4-cyl turbocharged petrol engine, 5-speed manual, 3-speed automatic, 4-speed automatic or CVT
Third Generation (2002-2006)
In 2002, Daihatsu released the L150, which had a cosmetic variation called the Move Latte. The variant was specially designed for females who frequented cafes.
The powertrains that are available in the market for L150 include the following:
- 658cc EF-VE 3-cyl petrol engine, 5-speed manual, 4-speed automatic or CVT (43kW)
- 658cc EF-DET 3-cyl turbocharged petrol engine, 5-speed manual, 4-speed automatic or CVT (47kW)
- 658cc JB-DET 4-cyl turbocharged petrol engine, 5-speed manual, 4-speed automatic or CVT
Move Latte came with the following powertrains:
- 658cc EF-VE 3-cyl petrol engine, 4-speed automatic transmission (43kW)
- 658cc EF-DET 3-cyl turbocharged petrol engine, 4-speed automatic transmission (47kW)
It came with two versions, namely the Cool and the Cool Turbo. This version went through a facelift in 2007 but was later discontinued in 2009.
Fourth Generation (2006-2010)
The fourth-generation entered the market in 2006 with a non-turbo KF-VE-type engine paired with a CVT.
The generation has ‘Move Conte’ as a derivative. It was available in Custom Model as well. The powertrains that are available in the market include:
- 658cc KF-VE 3-cyl petrol engine, five-speed manual gearbox/four-speed automatic gearbox, CVT (43kW)
- 658cc KF-DET 3-cyl Turbocharged petrol engine, five-speed manual gearbox/four-speed automatic gearbox, CVT (47kW)
Fifth Generation (2010-2014)
The fifth-generation Move (2011 model) was introduced in 2010. Subaru also produced and marketed it as the Subaru Stella (second generation) through an OEM agreement with Daihatsu.
The powertrains that are available in the market include:
- 658cc KF-VE 3-cyl petrol engine, CVT (43kW)
- 658cc KF-DET 3-cyl Turbocharged petrol engine, CVT (47kW)
Sixth Generation (2014-present)
The sixth-generation, which sells alongside the third-generation Stella, features a high-rigidity but lightweight body structure, a reinforced underbody, an upgraded suspension system, and a steering switch that allows shifting of the power mode at the touch of a button.
31 km/L is the claimed fuel economy. There is also a form of considerable difference between the 'Hyper SA' and 'Limited SA III' in terms of a facelift. The powertrains that are available include:
- 658 cc KF-VE 3-cyl petrol engine, CVT (43kW)
- 658 cc KF-DET 3-cyl urbocharged petrol engine, CVT (47kW)
Move Canbus (2016-present)
Move Canbus is also as a variant of the Move. The 5-door minivan has sliding doors, which is the first time for this series, and uses the same KF-VE (38kW) engine. It dons a two-tone retro look, which is an obvious attempt to imitate VW’s Beetle of Typ 2 but a kei version.
-Amara Z.