Daihatsu e:S concept

By Sam Hardy

21st October 2009

Here's a small car with big ideas! This is Daihatsu's e:S concept – a city runabout that borrows some of its styling inspiration from the MINI, mixing it with a lightweight body and a 660cc three-cylinder engine.

The tiny 3.1 metre machine was a big hit with show goers thanks to its cheeky headlights and MINI-like white roof, but under the skin it's eco-friendly too, with fuel economy of 70mpg thanks to a kerbweight of just 700kg. What's more, the company has also revealed that a two-cylinder turbo version is coming too, which should return close to 100mpg.

Meanwhile, the firm scored another success with the Basket concept – a cute, curvy drop-top which boasts a removable two-piece roof and a hardwearing load area with a flip down boot.

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