There was once an unnamed Daihatsu crossover made a surprise appearance at the 2019 Tokyo Motor Show that drew some attention from the crowd. No one knows what that crossover is, especially if its the production version of the DN-TREC Concept shown at the same venue two years ago, until now, Daihatsu called their newest crossover the Rocky, a name familiar to 90's kids everywhere, and in addition, Toyota borrowed one and called it the Raize.
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| 2020 Daihatsu Rocky |
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| 2020 Toyota Raize |
Cars like the Dodge Dart and the Porsche 718, some say, truly go down in history in what happens when carmakers revived famous names on models that are not meant to be and the Rocky is one of them.
The original Rocky is a light off-roader that is known for going everywhere and not afraid to get things dirty. The reborn Rocky isn't because it's just another small crossover made in a world where crossovers are treated like superhero movies. Anyway, while the new Rocky has nothing in common with the Rocky from the early Heisei era, this and its Toyota Raize equivalent served as the replacements for the Be-Go and Rush mini SUVs and because they don the DNGA platform first applied on today's Daihatsu Tanto (Chiffon for Subarists), they promise to work like a normal car.
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| 2020 Daihatsu Rocky |
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| 2020 Toyota Raize |
More with that later on but first, let's observe the design because while it was influenced by the DN-TREC Concept Car two years ago, the Rocky and Raize carried over some of the concept car elements to make it somewhat appealing for the public. The styling is not so bad but by squinting your eyes further, there are some fishy stuff going on with the design process and believe it or not, they're almost styled like a mini-me RAV4 per se.
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| 2020 Daihatsu Rocky interior |
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| 2020 Toyota Raize interior |
Inside, the Rocky and Raize, despite its small sizing that is way smaller than the Be-Go and Rush it replaces, is still functional and comfortable for five people. From the steering wheel that looks like a Kia, the dashboard similar to the Audi A1, and the instrumental panel worth asking, not to mention the decent space at the back and some room for luggage (along with the secret compartment underneath it), these new JDM crossovers truly know how to make a statement about being practical vehicles for a living and whether if its good enough for family or friends, the Rocky and Raize is all about getting the job done with no explanations.
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| 2020 Daihatsu Rocky |
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| 2020 Toyota Raize |
The DNGA platform, first used on the latest-generation Tanto kei minivans, allows both the Rocky and the Raize to utilize a wide range of tech and features, not to mention the driving character lurking beneath their skin and thanks to this platform, the MacPherson struts in the front, torsion beam in the back, rack and pinion steering, and other chassis features, these crossovers feel like they're right on the city street rather than driving on a normal Sunday morning to Cabanatuan.
They are front-wheel drive as standard but they can opt in for a 4WD drivetrain when things get down and dirty but with the Dynamic Torque Control inspired from today's RAV4 that makes it more lively. Because they have high ground clearance, the Rocky and the Raize are capable of driving through tarmac, gravel, and snow with no explanations whatsoever but because it doesn't have some clever stuff like what the Citroen C3 Aircross had, they're not born to be elephants. Sorry.
Under the hood, it's powered by a 1KR-VET 1.0L 3-cylinder turbo engine producing 98PS of power and 140Nm of torque and because it's mated with a CVT, fuel economy ranges to about 18.6km/L for front-wheel drive models and 17.4km/L for 4WD models based on WLTP standards.
For safety, the Rocky and the Raize can be fitted with the latest Smart Assist driving aids that will make driving life easy.
Should you buy one? The Daihatsu Rocky starts at 1,705,000 Japanese Yen while the Toyota Raize starts at 1,679,000 Japanese Yen, which are surprisingly cheaper to own than the Suzuki XBEE. So, there you are, ladies and gentlemen. The new Daihatsu Rocky, and its Toyota Raize equivalent, may not feel tough as the drivers hoped for and smaller than the Be-Go and Rush it replaces, but it has room, it has sprite, it has efficiency, it has tech, and it has value you can start from points A to Z with no explanations.
Photo: Daihatsu Motor Co., Ltd/Toyota Motor Corporation
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