Toyota has unveiled a minicar in Japan only in order to increase domestic sales. In a statement, Toyota said that the Pixis Space offers a fuel economy rating of 25.5 kilometers per liter (72.03mpg). From the start of the year through August, there has been a 29.5% decline in the sales of cars, trucks and buses in Japan. Toyota based this new minicar model on the Move Conte, made by Daihatsu Motor Co., 51% of which is owned by Toyota. Last year, Toyota sold about 528,000 vehicles that Daihatsu supplied. Daihatsu is the largest minicar manufacturer in Japan. The Pixis Space is not a unique Toyota design, but a car supplied by subsidiary Daihatsu as part of an agreement between the two companies reached in September 2010.
The Pixis Space, which is essentially a badge-engineered Daihatsu Move Conte, will be offered in the basic L and X trims, along with the fancier Custom X, Custom G, and Custom RS models. The basic models get a naturally aspirated 660-cc engine with dual variable valve timing, while the Custom RS receives a turbocharged version of the same mill. All models have a continuously variable transmission and front- or four-wheel drive.
