Nissan and Mitsubishi Motors today announced the model names and showed the exterior designs of their jointly-developed new minicars for the Japanese market. Sales of the new minicars will begin in June 2013 under the Nissan DAYZ and DAYZ Highway STAR, and the Mitsubishi eK Wagon and eK Custom, model names. The product planning and development of the new models was conducted by NMKV Co.,Ltd., a joint venture formed by Nissan and Mitsubishi Motors to develop minicars for the Japanese market. The new models offer highly competitive attributes such as excellent fuel economy and a comfortable, roomy cabin.
Nissan’s new models were named DAYZ, where the standard S was reversed to become a Z , to indicate a new way of looking at delivering value to owners as they go about their normal days. The goal is to change standard everyday activities into days with added delight by owning one of these cars. The DAYZ and DAYZ Highway STAR are all-new minicars offering dynamic design and quality interior space, expressing unique Nissan traits that break the mold of what conventional minicars can offer.
Mitsubishi’s new models, eK Wagon and eK Custom, strike the balance among features that are necessary to achieve an “ee kei” (meaning “good minicar”), including a comfortable cabin space and easy handling , a high-quality feel that surpasses that of traditional minicars, and excellent fuel economy. Through NMKV, Nissan and Mitsubishi Motors will continuously strengthen their highly-competitive minicar lineups, reflecting the strengths of both companies in the areas of product planning, development, design and purchasing.
