Daihatsu · 1974–1988

Daihatsu Charmant

The Daihatsu Charmant (Japanese: ダイハツ・シャルマン, Hepburn: Daihatsu Sharuman) is a subcompact car built by Daihatsu. It was succeeded by the Applause and Charade Social a little over a year after Charmant production ended. The Charmant was heavily based on the E20/E70 Toyota Corolla platforms; model changes paralleled those of the Corolla. All Charmants were fitted with Toyota inline-four engines, ranging from 1.2 to 1.6-litres. The word charmant is French for "charming." When it was introduced, it was the largest Daihatsu passenger vehicle sold in Japan (until the introduction of the Delta Wide minivan in 1982), with the Charade supermini in the middle (introduced in 1977), and the Fellow Max (succeeded by Mira in 1980) kei car as the smallest.

Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Predecessor: Daihatsu Consorte · Successor: Daihatsu Applause

All Daihatsu Charmant data: UK builds, safety, recalls, model years → + Compare

First generation (A10/A20/A30/A40; 1974–1981)

First presented in November 1974, the first generation Daihatsu Charmant was based on the Toyota Corolla (E20) platform, which was already outdated because Toyota had already introduced the latest generation Corolla (E30) seven months earlier. However, the body shell looks more like the Sprinter (E20) saloon because of the similarity of the rear section from the C-pillar all the way down to the boot which is different from the Corolla, which also had a body length that is almost identical as the newer Corolla. The Charmant was marketed with luxury orientation by the use of dual headlights which was only available for higher class cars at the time. Initially only three grades were offered; Deluxe, Custom and Hi-Custom. It came with 1.2-litre (1166 cc) 3K-H engine producing 71 PS (52 kW; 70 hp) and 1.4-litre (1407 cc) T engine producing 86 PS (63 kW; 85 hp), both in gross rating. It came with a four or five-speed manual transmission, as well as a two-speed automatic options for all engines. All-wheel drum brakes were standard for the base Deluxe, while the higher grades were equipped with front disc brakes and booster. Unique to the first generation, an estate was also available. This was called "van" in the Japanese domestic market, where it was classed as a commercial vehicle and can be recognized by the additional horizontal metal bars on the third row windows. Unlike the Corolla, the Charmant estate/van was only offered with a 5-door body style. The van was introduced in December 1974, a month after the saloons debuted. These vans were only available with a standard four-speed manual transmission and an additional base grade called Standard, while the top grade Hi-Custom was exclusive for the saloons. The saloons were coded as A10 (1.2-litre) and A20 (1.4-litre) (A10V

Second generation (A35/A45/A55/A60; 1981–1988)

A new Charmant was launched at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 1981 with new squarer bodywork that was somewhat outmoded already when being introduced, as was its front-engine, rear-wheel drive layout. Due to Daihatsu's unfamiliarity with the process of presenting new cars in Frankfurt, the car was omitted from most official press releases and several automobile writers overlooked the fact that there was a new car on Daihatsu's stand. Trim levels were commonly called LD, LC, LE and LGX – not all market received all of these trim levels. In Japan, there was an additional trim level below the LGX called LGF and a top trim called Altair. The only bodywork available was a four-door saloon, while the estate/van model no longer available. Unlike the Toyota Corolla (E70) on which the Charmant was based, it featured a six-window saloon body style, as opposed to the four-window style found on the Corolla. There were two bumper options on this model, short bumpers for lower models and 50 millimetres (2 in) longer ones equipped with shock absorbers for the top model. For the early model, the lower models were equipped with a rack and pinion steering system, while top models retained the older recirculating ball system. The Charmant had an independent front suspension (MacPherson strut) with a stabilizer bar, and a live four-link rear axle with a panhard rod. Suspension settings were soft, for maximum comfort. In Japan, the biggest engine was now an SOHC 1.5-litre (1453 cc) 3A-U with 80 PS (59 kW; 79 hp) gross. In the export, the OHV 1.6-litre (1588 cc) 2T engine from previous generation was retained, producing 75 PS (55 kW; 74 hp) net. The smaller OHV 1.3-litre (1290 cc) 4K engine was also retained for the lower models, produced between 60 and 65 PS (44 and 48 kW; 59 and 64

Sections adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0); text is shortened. Read the full article for the complete history and citations.

Specifications

name

Daihatsu Charmant

Manufacturer

Daihatsu

Production

1974–1988

Predecessor

Daihatsu Consorte

Successor

Daihatsu Applause, Daihatsu Charade Social

Class

Subcompact car

Layout

Front-engine, rear-wheel drive

Specification summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Check the linked sources for citations.

More photos

Sources

• Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1157554CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
• Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daihatsu_CharmantCC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1371692968 · retrieved 2026-10-01
• Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Daihatsu_Charmant_1300.JPGPublic domain · Photo: Yones · retrieved 2026-10-01
• Car Model Index — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/Compiled record. Sources that do not permit reuse are not copied; this index is credited instead.

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