Have you ever heard of the Daihatsu Charade, which people like because of its lightweight and compact body? The initial generation of Charade was released in 1977, and the latest one was launched in 2012. How did Charade become everyone’s favorite since its initial debut? Let’s dig into its complete history below.
6 Stages of The Charade’s History
Charade has a long history since its initial production in 1977 and even relaunched under a new name in 2003. Let’s learn about it through the complete descriptions of each model here.
1. G10 (1977)
First Charade was available in 3-door or 5-door hatchback. Hatchback means the car is well-designed for four passengers and has a small trunk space to carry a maximum of two bags. The first series of G10 had round headlights, and the second series had square headlights.
The G10 was immensely popular during the 1980s in Chile (renamed as G20), and it was also available in a 3-door hatchback along with two small round windows in the back. While a 993cc 3-cylinder engine powered the G10, the one sold in Chile was powered by an 843cc 3-cylinder engine.
G10 was available in three models named XO, XG, and XTE.
2. Daihatsu Charade G11 (1983)
Like the G10, the G11, released in 1983, has a three or 5-door hatchback. You may see the difference between the G10 and G11 in terms of specification. In this new version, the G11 came with a 3-cylinder 1.0-liter engine, a turbocharged version with 68hp JIS, and a diesel-type.
The Charade G11 was also released in two types of frontends: Square-Eyes (1st series) and Cat-Eyes (2nd series). Daihatsu made the Square-Eyes type by reflecting the origami styling trend, while the Cat-Eyes simply had a sleeker nose, hatch door, and tail lights.
3. G100 (1987)
Daihatsu launched the third generation of Charade in 1987. Initially, the G100 was produced with a 1.0-liter 3-cylinder engine and a 1.3-liter 4-cylinder with a single carburetor. Later, Daihatsu added a 1.0-liter turbo diesel, a 1.0L twin-cam turbo named GTti.
As for the design, Daihatsu made G100 available in a 3-door and 5-door hatchback. The following year, Daihatsu brought a new concept, as the G100 was a 4-door sedan with a 1.3-liter EFI engine.
4. Daihatsu Charade (1994)
While Japan kept producing Charade with a 1.0-liter engine as the base model, European countries released the car with the SOHC 1.3-liter. This European version of Charade featured a 1.5-liter with optional 4WD. Then, the turbocharged GTti was changed into a more conventional GTi with an SOHC 16-valve 1.6-liter engine.
However, De Tomaso, a former owner of Innocenti, made the export version differently. He made the Charade capable of 124hp JIS or 91kW, while he manufactured the export version into 105hp DIN (77kW).
Tomaso also added Charade’s body kits, such as a Nardi Torino steering wheel, Pirelli sports tires, and Recaro seats.
5. G203 (1996)
The manufacturer restyled Daihatsu Charade two years after release with the codename G203. G203 came with a ‘smiley face’ grille, and its headlight reminded people of the Toyota Starlet. The production of G203 continued until Daihatsu replaced G203 with Storia/Sirion back in 2000.
G203 also has two types, namely G203B and G203C. The difference between the two lies in the number of the door. The Charade G203B is a hatchback with two passenger doors, while the G203C comes in a five-door.
6. Daihatsu Mira
Mira was the new name of the Charade given by the UK and Australian markets. It was released with a three or 5-door hatchback with a 1.0-liter engine, just like Charade G11. Even though Daihatsu renamed Charade as Mira, Morocco markets still addressed Mira as Charade back in 2003.
Unfortunately, Daihatsu Mira’s production had to end in Australia due to the market climate, which acknowledged the Toyota Yaris as the tiniest car.
3 Variants of Daihatsu Charade after Mira
In 2011, Daihatsu launched three types of new Charade. There are Charade Classic, Charade City, and Charade Club. Find out the complete specifications below.
1. Charade Classic
Daihatsu launched Charade Classic with a hatchback model and six-speed manual transmission. You can reach 0-100km/h within 11,9 seconds with a power of 73 kW. Additionally, the engine has a capacity of 1329 cc with four in-line cylinders and four valves per cylinder.
Daihatsu set the price of Charade Classic at US$14.079, and Daihatsu only offered the manual-type for this version.
2. Daihatsu Charade City
You can drive Charade City with acceleration within 0-100 km/h in 11,9 seconds. As for the engine, it’s practically the same as the Charade Classic which has a capacity of 1329 cc with four valves per cylinder and four in-line cylinders.
Charade City has an initial price of US$15.171 for the manual-type ones and US$15.374 for the automatic-type ones.
3. Charade Club
Just like the other types of Charade, this one also came with a hatchback model and six-speed manual transmission. You’ll be able to reach 0-100 km/hour in only 11,9 seconds, and the maximum speed is 175km/h. There is no difference between Charade Classic, Charade City, and Charade Club regarding the engine types.
The Daihatsu’s price for this type is US$16.402 for the manual ones and US$ 17.555 for the automatic type.
Do You Wish to Own a Daihatsu Charade as Your Car?
Seeing how Daihatsu constantly improves its car type, will Charade be able to show itself again in the future? Even if Daihatsu does not produce this type of car anymore, many people can still buy the used ones from e-commerce. However, remember that you must put extra effort into caring for it.
Based on the Daihatsu Charade variants above, you can pick the manual-type ones if you’re searching to save up some dollars. But, suppose you want to gain the convenience of driving your car.
In that case, you may pick the automatic one for Charade City and Charade Club or choose the Charade Classic, as it only has an automatic type.