The Tokyo Motor Show is the best place to see some authentic kei cars, and no one knows more about small-sized automobiles than Daihatsu.

We’re inclined to think that Daihatsu knows its way around a kei car, because it’s oldest Japanese automobile manufacturer. In fact, in its long history, the Toyota-owned company constructed countless models and spawned a plethora of concepts, becoming one of the most prolific kei-car builders in Japan. And here are its latest creations.

Complying with the car manufacturer’s “Your heart will race” theme for the 44th edition of the Tokyo Motor Show, the Nori Ori, Tempo and D-Base are three small concepts, each based with a mobility idea in mind.

The Nori Ori (which roughly translates as “getting in and out”) is described as a “multi-use commuter of the near future”. It was built to create an easy access – mainly for people with disabilities – in a car with compact proportions and, as its name implies, focuses on getting in and out of it with ease. It has 2-way access doors that open widely, a retractable slope and a floor lift. Its roomy cabin has enough space to carry two unfolded wheelchairs.

The Tempo presents the idea of “a new genre-space commercial vehicle” – as Daihatsu describes it – which creates a new class of mini mobile retail outlets. Imagine it as a kei ice-cream van, only selling other products. The model measures 1,995mm in height and comes equipped with with facilities for product sales or cooking.

Last but not least is the D-base, which is actually the only car in the trio that previews a production model. Daihatsu says it embodies its next generation of compact cars (most likely the Mira model) and it features the car maker’s e:S fuel-efficiency technologies.

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