Mitsubishi eK Wagon (4th Gen) and Nissan Dayz (2nd Gen)

The Mitsubishi eK Wagon is now on its 4th Generation and for this generation, it tries to correct most of the things that went wrong from its previous model aside from the fuel efficiency fiasco that forced Mitsubishi to be part of the Nissan umbrella. For a byproduct of the NMKV joint venture, the fourth-generation eK Wagon has a lot of dirt to clean from the previous model before it takes a good look at the mirror.

2020 Mitsubishi eK Wagon

2020 Mitsubishi eK X

The fourth-generation eK Wagon comes with two different flavors such as the standard eK Wagon, which starts somewhere at the 1.3 million yen bracket, and the SUV-like eK X (Cross), which starts below 1.5 million yen. While the normal eK Wagon looks a bit vanilla on the road, the eK X looks a bit like a shrunken Delica D:5 (which was facelifted recently a few quarters ago this year) but either way, these two city cars have a lot of work to do in order to win back the crowd that felt betrayed from the previous model because of the fuel scandal Mitsubishi needs to clean up.

2020 Mitsubishi eK Wagon interior

2020 Mitsubishi eK X interior

After observing the exterior design of both of these machines, there goes the interior and unlike the previous model, which has a center panel of a high-tech washing machine, the new model has a more modest tone on the inside and while it is small, it's surprisingly not bad to accomodate up to four people as well as the boot in the back. In the eK X, meanwhile, customers can go for an optional extra with the special fabric on the seats that feels somewhat scaly to touch at.

2020 Mitsubishi eK Wagon

2020 Mitsubishi eK X

Both these eK Wagons are powered by a BR06 3-cylinder 12-valve 660cc engine producing 52PS of power and with a mild hybrid system that bolts the 2kW onto the engine as well as the CVT gearbox that doesn't sound exciting at all and the Idle Stop & Go feature, you'll be getting about 21.2km/L of combined fuel economy by WLTP standards, which is rather impressive for a kei car of this size. For the ek X, meanwhile, customers can go for the turbocharged variant for some added sprite to their driving pleasure in the city. As for handling, the new eK Wagon still has Rack and Pinion Power Steering, Torsion Beams on the suspension setup and Disc Reading Trailing Drum Brakes, which makes the driving experience a bit decent to experience, although not as quite as good as a proper European city car. Still, it feels very accessible to drive with and there's nothing wrong with having one in the first place.

With safety as its top priority, the new eK Wagon range features MI-PILOT semi-autonomous tech as well as e-assist suite of safety features for a safer driving that soothes your eyebrows all the way home.

So, has Mitsubishi corrected the mistakes the previous eK Wagon did? If you weren't sure, you could consider having the Nissan equivalent of the new eK Wagon, the Dayz.

2020 Nissan Dayz

2020 Nissan Dayz Bolero

Although similarly priced as the new eK Wagon, the all-new Dayz offers different styles to choose from such as the normal Dayz, the stylish Highway Star variant, and the female-friendly Bolero variant.

2020 Nissan Dayz interior

2020 Nissan Dayz interior

While the Dayz features different faces compared to the eK Wagon, it still has the same interior, the same BR06 3-cylinder 12-valve 660cc engine with mild hybrid and Idle Stop & Go, and the same semi-autonomous driving aids and safety features that will keep drivers noticed all the way home from work or trips to the mall.

So, there we are, as a byproduct of the NMKV venture, both the new eK Wagon and the new Dayz are surely more than enough to correct all the things that went wrong with the previous generation, especially the fuel efficiency fiasco that forced Mitsubishi to be part of the Nissan umbrella. Question is, will it stay being an honest-to-goodness kei car to the very end of its lifespan? Only time will tell.

Photo: Mitsubishi Motors/Nissan

Mitsubishi eK Space and Nissan Dayz Roox (2017 Minor Change)

2017 Mitsubishi eK Space

2017 Mitsubishi eK Space Custom

2017 Nissan Dayz Roox

Having been returned from the lineup numerous months after the fuel efficiency fiasco that forced Mitsubishi to temporarily suspend most of their kei car sales after Nissan discovered what's wrong with their fuel efficiency numbers and then sparked a takeover on Mitsubishi Motors following the wrongdoing, looks like the taller equivalents of the Mitsubishi eK and Nissan Dayz, the eK Space and Dayz Roox, has been given a facelift and let's hope that these latest versions are as honest as this morning's newspaper.

On the Mitsubishi side, the redesigned front face makes it well-civilized and cozy for the normal eK Space while the eK Space Custom gets it all futuristic and sharp. On the Nissan side, both the normal and the Highway Star variants received Nissan's corporate V-motion grille to make it more welcome to the family. Although the new look makes them more updated, they're still the same thing, although they are finally come clean with their fuel efficiency numbers.

For all models, it comes with the 660cc engine producing 49PS of power and 59Nm of torque. Turbocharged models get around 64PS of power, in case you missed it. Fuel efficiency? They're at a very honest 20.4 to 22.2km/L based on Japan's JC08 Mode standards. This is as fuel efficient as these wagons go, otherwise, they would exaggerate it against its fuel efficient rivals from Daihatsu and Suzuki and then cause any trouble again. Not in this case, it ain't because customers who bought this car will have to keep an eye on its fuel efficiency in the hopes that they don't get deceived by its exaggeration.

Anyway, some safety tech is loaded in both models such as the autonomous braking system called FCM-City, Active Stability Control, Emergency Stop Signal System, ABS brakes, and much more, all in the name of being one of the safest kei minivans in the market, as if those cars like the Tanto and the Spacia can do the job better than those but that's not the case for those kei minivans trying to come clean and win back the motoring public after that fiasco that sent them homespun.

At a Mitsubishi dealership, the eK Space starts at 1,239,840 Yen while the eK Space Custom starts at 1,568,160 Yen. At a Nissan dealership, meanwhile, the Dayz Roox starts at 1,306,800 Yen and it comes with different variants ranging from the normal, Highway Star, Bolero, and Rider. Both the Bolero and the Rider are made courtesy of Autech Japan. So, with everything's come clean for these facelifted models, can the new eK Space and the new Dayz Roox win back the motoring public? Only time will tell.

Photo: Mitsubishi Motors/Nissan

Mitsubishi eK Space and Nissan Dayz Roox

Last year, the NMKV joint venture between Nissan and Mitsubishi spawned off the first of their offerings as part of the partnership between these two Japanese carmakers. For Mitsubishi, they unveiled their 3rd-generation eK Wagon, along with its sporty eK Custom model, which has graduated from semi-tall kei wagon into a full-fledged tall wagon that competes against Suzuki's Wagon R and Daihatsu's Move. Coinciding with the Mitsubishi eK Wagon, Nissan unveiled its equivalent, the Dayz, which shares the same components as the new eK Wagon.

So, continuing on their NMKV progress, they've launched new models designed and engineered by Nissan and Mitsubishi, competing on the likes of Honda's N BOX, Daihatsu's Tanto (which the third-generation was recently launched last year), and Suzuki's Spacia.

2014 Mitsubishi eK Space Custom

2014 Mitsubishi eK Space

2014 Nissan Dayz Roox

They've launched two brand new kei minivans which again done under the NMKV joint venture. For Mitsubishi, it's the all new eK Space while for Nissan, it's the all new Dayz Roox. So, what is it?

Yeah, so what is it?

Both the eK Space from Mitsubishi and Dayz Roox from Nissan are super height wagon-type kei cars that provides spaciousness and conveniences that you expect from its rivals. They do come with numerous features such as the Around View Monitor operated on its rear-view mirror, super TV-cut heat-insulated glass that reflects against 99% of the sun's harmful UV rays, and the trademark touch-screen automatic air-conditioning. The same things you found from last year's eK Wagon and Roox can now be seen on these taller spin-offs. Quite a math they done here.

Like most kei-cars, they have two styles, right?

Yes, they do. Like most kei cars, the eK Space and the Dayz Roox come with two different styles that suits their individuality. There is a standard model which looks a bit as simple as shopping at the 100 Yen Store and then there's a sportier version (for Mitsubishi, the eK Space Custom while for Nissan, the Dayz Roox Highway Star) if you're feeling a bit of a high-roller without the high and the roller.

So, what's it like to be on the inside?

2014 Mitsubishi eK Space interior

2014 Mitsubishi eK Space Custom interior

2014 Nissan Dayz Roox interior

On the inside, both the Dayz Roox and the eK Space aren't really bad at all for a small height car in its size. Of course, you still see numerous stuff derived from the Dayz or the eK Wagon but what truly made these two set the benchmarks in its class was its sliding rear seats and its height. The rear seats can be slided horizontally by about 260mm, the longest in its class. Then, there's the room height that sets the benchmark of having the longest room in its class by about 1400mm. That's tall enough for Little John to stretch his arms as high as he like. It's still a spacious tall wagon and you can fit in as much as what remains from your office cubicle.

What about performance?

2014 Mitsubishi eK Space

2014 Mitsubishi eK Space Custom

2014 Nissan Dayz Roox

Even though, they're so small, they do come up being a nippy car to play with. For all models, it comes with the 660cc engine producing 49PS of power and 59Nm of torque. Because they weigh about 920kg for base models, the power-to-weight ratio would be about 18.78kg/PS. With the CVT gearbox mated along with the host of fuel-efficient features like the new battery-assist system, fuel economy is about 26kmpl, as calculated via JC08 Mode standards.

No wait...that's not right...

You sure is, with the fuel economy of 26kmpl, both the eK Space and the Dayz Roox can't match the likes of the Tanto and the Spacia but on the plus side, that's about .8kmpl more than the Honda N BOX. Pricing aside, the base eK Space costs about 1,224,300 Yen while the base Dayz Roox costs around 1,240,050 Yen so you maybe wandering why is there a 16,000 Yen price gap on these two, well at least for now because they've been launched two months before Japan implementing its 8% vehicle acquisition tax and that's going to be more costly for customers looking for kei cars.

You know what, after a whole day checking out these two new models, I couldn't work it out at all...

Available colors (eK Space): White Pearl, Cool Silver Metallic, Black, Mica, Sakura Pink Metallic, Antique Gold Metallic, Chocolat Brown Pearl, and Purplish Navy Pearl.

Available colors (Dayz Roox): White Pearl, Cool Silver Metallic, Black Pearl, Silky Rose Metallic, Azalea Pink Metallic, Pink Gold Metallic, Mocha Brown Pearl, and Premium Purple Pearl.

Photo: Mitsubishi Motors Corporation/Nissan Motor Corporation

Mitsubishi eK Wagon (3rd Generation) and Nissan Dayz

Two new kei cars as part of strengthening ties between Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. and Mitsubishi Motors Corporation and part of the newly established NMKV joint venture have arrived and the all-new Mitsubishi eK Wagon and its Nissan counterpart, the Dayz, setting standards in the Japanese kei-car market and promises to set importance to this wondrous collaboration from these two Japanese automotive giants.

2014 Mitsubishi eK Wagon

2014 Nissan Dayz

For the new third-generation eK Wagon, it's been divided into two styles; the standard eK Wagon targeted for those who wanted something simple and the stylish eK Custom for those who wanted something a bit more sporty and stylish in the eyes of observers. Same goes the Dayz because it too has two styles such as the normal Dayz which has the face of the Nissan Note and the Highway Star model which has the face of the Nissan Serena.

2014 Mitsubishi eK Custom

2014 Nissan Dayz

Both the new eK Wagon and the Dayz are built on Mitsubishi's Mizushima Plant and no matter which version you'll be, it's just the same feeling. This is where all of the hard work done by Mitsubishi not just for itself but also for Nissan as well because like I said, both the eK Wagon and the Dayz are fruits of their labor and part of the wondrous collaboration that started the NMKV joint venture.

Anyway, both the Dayz and the new eK Wagon are powered with Mitsubishi's newly developed 3B20 MIVEC DOHC 12-valve engine mated with a CVT gearbox. This new engine provides strong driving performance and best-in-class fuel economy among height wagon-type kei cars. Fuel economy based on Japan's JC08 Test Cycle is a nice 29.2km/L, which is a bit more than the Honda N ONE and also the Suzuki Wagon R as well! Wait!

You know, last year's Suzuki Wagon R comes with a mild hybrid system which delivers 28.8km/L but this new eK Wagon and Dayz doesn't have that technology the Suzuki Wagon R had. How's that possible for a kei-car like this to deliver 29.2km/L of fuel economy that can easily trounced the Wagon R? What sort of witchcraft was that? Nope. That wasn't witchcraft, this is logic. Those new NMKV kei cars don't rely on that kind of system and depended on old-fashioned fuel-saving technology but made it better to get such fuel consumption. The new 3B20 MIVEC engine provides improved combustion efficiency, adoption of an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) cooler, reduced friction and the electronically-controlled thermostat, meaning there is a lot more than that why 29.2km/L of fuel consumption for the new eK Wagon and Dayz was reached.

Anyway, let's not talk more about it but as for the eK Custom and Dayz Highway Star variants, an optional turbocharger was offered to increase its power output from 49PS to 64PS, much like anything else in the world right now.

2014 Mitsubishi eK Custom interior

2014 Mitsubishi eK Wagon interior

2014 Nissan Dayz interior

As for the interior, manufacturers said that both the eK Wagon and the Dayz provides space for relaxation while being wrapped in high-quality materials made to be somewhat a bit premium and a bit posh. Sometimes, as kei cars, most of their interiors are somewhat plain and a bit easy and clean. Not so in here because while having a "easy and clean" interior, it's pretty much technological and as demonstrated with this kei-car-first Touch Panel Auto A/C, which at the touch of your fingertips, adjusts the climate control of your car if you want it a bit warmer for fall and winter and if you want it a bit cooler for spring and summer. Of course, summer's here so best to set the A/C cool but that's a privilege for those who don't want to open their windows on the roundabouts or in the highway or in the city streets or in the open road or whatever you're going.

Plus, the rear view mirror comes with a rear view monitor for added convenience if your neck's too tired to turn behind while parking your car in reverse. Since it was mounted in the mirror, a car navigation system is not required to use this feature. They learned that idea from the latest Nissan Note you know. Also, the front view comes with a Super UV-cut heat insulated green glass which filters out 99 percent of harmful UV rays, hazard warning lights automatically flashed on and off when depressing the brakes firmly or when the ABS is operated, and so much more to keep these kei cars advanced ahead of time...if you have the urge to take your time learning so much features of these.

Available colors for the eK Wagon: White Solid, White Pearl, Cool Silver Metallic, Black Mica, Sakura Pink Metallic, Cherry Brown Pearl, Brilliant Turquoise Metallic, and Purplish Navy Blue Pearl.

Available colors for the eK Custom: White Pearl, Cool Silver Metallic, Black Mica, and Purplish Navy Blue Pearl

Available colors for the Dayz: White, White Pearl, Cool Silver Metallic, Black Pearl, Silky Rose Metallic, Reddish Maroon Pearl Metallic, Mineral Blue Metallic, and Premium Purple Pearl.

For the 2014 eK Wagon, prices start from 1,050,000 Yen up to 1,335,000 Yen while the eK Custom starts at 1,269,000 Yen up to 1,546,000 Yen and the Dayz starts at 1,060,000 Yen up to 1,600,000 Yen, making it the one of this year's JDM bargains.

So, there you have it folks. Both the new eK Wagon and the Dayz are the first of the NMKV joint venture and a wonderful partnership between Nissan and Mitsubishi, making it one of the most important vehicles to be ever launched this year and even with such partnerships, I think both the eK Wagon and the Dayz need some time to prepare themselves before getting primed up and ready to showcase the world what they're capable of. Oh wait, they're available only in Japan so only the Japanese crowd will behold on these two. He he he.... What are the chances?