The Daihatsu Mira story part 2: Kelisa, Viva, and beyond

• In Part 2, we take a look at the final generations of the Daihatsu Mira
• From one generation skipped by Perodua to what would eventually be the Kelisa and Viva
• The Mira's essence still remains on the Axia, albeit not as obvious

Previously, we took a look back at the first 3 generations of the Daihatsu Mira and its interesting variations in Japan and Southeast Asia. As it turns out, Malaysia wasn't the only market that gave the L200 Mira a rebadge in the form of the Perodua Kancil.

The Kancil would eventually have a more upscale successor, the Kelisa which was also based on the Daihatsu Mira, the fifth-gen L700. However, there is one generation in between that never received the P2 treatment and yet, this generation is also prized among the local Kancil conversion scene.

Retro fever and swappable parts

By the mid-1990s, another craze was sweeping the Land of the Rising Sun that involved modern little cars featuring vintage-inspired designs. For the L500 Mira, Daihatsu would introduce the retro-looking Mira Classic which would inspire the Mira Gino in the next generation.

Also read: Once upon a time, retro-inspired JDMs were popular in futuristic Japan

The Classic not only featured an extensive redesign that mimicked the original Mini, but it was also equally classical inside with wooden trims and a wooden Momo steering wheel. Powering the “classical” Kei car were either naturally-aspirated (40 PS - FWD, 55 PS – 4WD) or turbocharged (64 PS) 660-cc engines.

Also read: China is determined to remake the original Mini as an EV, but BMW won't be happy

The Mira continued to offer a hot hatch variant called the Mira TR-XX Avanzato R and it remains a hot commodity among fans. Compared to the previous generation, the turbocharged Avanzato looked more distinct with a daring two-tone paintjob and a little hood scoop.

Meanwhile, the L500 Mira Moderno didn't have quite the extensive facelift as its predecessor but it did have one uniquely feminine variant. Towards the end of the L500’s production, a special Hello Kitty Edition was introduced with the mouthless cat appearing on the badge, the ignition key, the hubcaps, the fabric seats, and the meter cluster.

Despite the L500’s evolution over the L200, the newer generation retained most of the looks of its predecessor. As such, it might not be surprising to know that some parts are interchangeable and can be fitted onto a Kancil.

Production for the L500 ended in Japan in 1998 but it would be introduced in Pakistan in 2000 where it was assembled by Toyota’s Pakistani subsidiary, Toyota Indus until 2012. It was sold as the Daihatsu Cuore and was a best seller in the country.

Gino and AVY

Despite the Perodua Kelisa being one of the most fun cars to drive, the L700 Mira it was based on would see the unique variants being reduced to only one. The Mira Gino replaced both the Mira Classic and Mira Moderno while the hot TR-XX Avanzato would be sadly discontinued.

Also read: The Perodua Kelisa is proof that fun can come from the most unexpected packages

At least the turbochargers remained but only on certain variants of the Mira Gino. For the first time ever in Japan, the Mira was also offered with a 1.0-litre engine but these were not qualified under kei car classifications since they were also wider than the 660-cc Mira variants.

We’ve dedicated a whole piece on the Mira Gino and why it might be inspired by another car that is not named Mini so we won’t dive much on the L700 here. The Gino with its retro looks became yet another hot item for Kelisa conversions but a few owners gave the regular L700’s design a chance.

Also read: The Daihatsu Mira Gino wasn’t inspired by the original Mini, but something Italian

In 2002, the sixth-generation Mira, the L250 was launched in Japan with a quintessential boxy kei car design. Just like its predecessor, it only had one unique variant called the Mira AVY. It was the highest variant of the Mira and the three letters meant “Attractive & Vivid mini for Yourself”.

The only visual cue that set the AVY apart from the standard L250 was the front which featured a chrome grille to give off that sporty sense but underneath, it was only powered by a naturally-aspirated 660-cc unit. No turbochargers here.

For the third and last time, the Mira would be the donor car for Perodua's base model with the Viva launching in 2007. The kei-certified base 660-cc BX would mainly be confined in driving schools but outside of JPJ tests, many Viva owners once again looked East and the AVY was among the most common parts sourced for a conversion.

Also read: Even Japanese driving schools don’t use Kei cars, is our Perodua Axia even good enough?

The Mira would continue on as the seventh-generation L275 in early 2007 but this would be the last generation of Daihatsu’s little car that could. The Mira ended production in 2018 and its chapter would be over.

But wait…

Technically, the Mira is still around as the Mira e:S but despite the name, it is considered to be different from its predecessors. The Mira e:S would emphasise buzzwords about caring for the environment which is literally in the name – e=Eco, S=Smart.

Still, why mention the Mira e:S here? Well, the Perodua Axia might share the same technology and underpinnings as the Toyota Agya/Wigo and the Daihatsu Ayla but compare the shape to the LA300 Mira e:S. Don’t they look a little similar?

Granted, the Mira e:S’ ASEAN cousins are slightly larger with bigger engines and hence, parts aren’t shared between the two. Interestingly, both cars share the same wheelbase but it’s impossible for a Mira e:S conversion on the Axia.

Also read: Toyota Wigo is the Axia’s better looking cousin with a more powerful 1.2L engine

The Mira e:S is also sold as the Subaru Pleo and the Toyota Pixis Epoch. The second-generation Mira e:S was launched in 2017, yet it might be unlikely for the next-gen Axia/Ayla/Agya/Wigo to resemble the second-gen e:S.

Also read: All-new Perodua Axia: Codenamed D74A, could launch as early as 2023

Aside from the Ativa and the outgoing Alza, most of Perodua’s line-up are more closely related to Daihatsu models offered in Indonesia. Two of its most popular models, the Myvi and Bezza, on the other hand, are original Malaysian designs.

Also read: UMW Group sold 32k cars in April 2022; Perodua sales to be boosted by all-new Alza, facelifted models

Still, it’s difficult to shake off the perception of Perodua as rebadged Daihatsu JDMs and its past models showed a side of car culture that is uniquely Malaysian. Despite the Mira never officially sold here with the round D badge, it has remained in the hearts of many Malaysians.

Also read: The Daihatsu Mira story part 1: From humble kei car to Perodua Kancil