Daihatsu · 2005–2011
Daihatsu Esse
The Daihatsu Esse (Japanese: ダイハツ・エッセ, Hepburn: Daihatsu Esse) is a kei car manufactured by the Japanese automaker Daihatsu. With a base price of ¥680,000, it was one of the cheapest new cars in Japan when launched in December 2005. According to Daihatsu, the name was derived from the Latin root for the English word "essence", but also serves as a backronym for "Eco, Simple and Smart, and Easy".
Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Successor: Daihatsu Mira e:S
All Daihatsu Esse data: UK builds, safety, recalls, model years →
Design
The Esse was sold as a 5-door hatchback in five trim levels (Eco, D, L, X, and Custom), with front- or four-wheel drive. The Esse Custom, introduced in November 2006, had a front lip spoiler, fog lights, side skirts, and sporty seats, but received no mechanical changes. All versions are powered by a 658 cc (40 cu in) KF-VE three-cylinder petrol engine producing 58 PS (43 kW) at 7,200 rpm.
History
The Esse was first revealed in concept form during the 39th Tokyo Motor Show in 2005, entering the market late that year. In addition to the aforementioned trim levels, the VS Memorial Edition (celebrating 100 years since the founding of Daihatsu's predecessor company) and D Selection special editions were offered in 2007. 2009 saw the consolidation of trim levels into D, X, and Custom, plus an economy-oriented X-Special trim that was discontinued the following year. Production ended in September 2011, with the Esse being replaced by the Mira e:S. In total, 214,960 examples were built in just under six years.
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 Esse (L235)
- Manufacturer
- Daihatsu
- Production
- December 2005 – September 2011
- Assembly
- Japan
- Designer
- Eiji Murakami
- Class
- Kei car
- Body style
- 5-door hatchback
- Layout
- Front-engine, front-wheel-drive, Front-engine, four-wheel-drive
- Related
- Daihatsu Mira (L275)
- Engine
- Petrol:, 658 cc KF-VE I3
- Transmission
- 3-speed automatic, 4-speed automatic, 5-speed manual
- Wheelbase
- 2390 mm
- Length
- 3395 mm
- Width
- 1475 mm
- Height
- 1470 mm
- Kerb weight
- 700 –
- Successor
- Daihatsu Mira e:S
- sp
- uk
Specification summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Measured facts from Wikidata (CC0). Check the linked sources for citations.
More photos
Sources
- Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1157564CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
- Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daihatsu_EsseCC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1290976113 · retrieved 2026-10-01
- Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Daihatsu_Esse_2005_1.jpgCC BY-SA 3.0 · Photo: Kuha455405 · retrieved 2026-10-01
- Manufacturer website (link only) — https://u-catch.daihatsu.co.jp/history/esse/Link only; no content copied · 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.