Daihatsu Taft (LA900S)

In the world of motoring, reviving a name of an old car that is famous to a new car that is not intended to be is something to be called a sacrilege or blasphemy to heritage, an attack on history if you refer. Mitsubishi did this with the Eclipse...Cross, Dodge did with the Dart, and a few others. Now, Daihatsu's on the list with their newest kei crossover that bears a tough name from the past, the Taft.

2021 Daihatsu Taft

Before explaining about Daihatsu's direct competitor against the Suzuki Hustler, let's talk about the Taft name. The original Taft is a "small but terrible" offroader that enjoys being the David of the rough terrain when it first launched in 1974 until it got replaced by the Rugger in 1984. The old Taft means "Tough and Almighty Four-wheel Touring vehicle" but for this kei crossover, the Taft meaning has changed and it's now "Tough and Almighty Fun Tool." It's similar to what happened when Daihatsu revived the Rocky as a little crossover that feels nothing in common with the old one.

2021 Daihatsu Taft

Anyway, while everyone's busy mucking about why Daihatsu revived the tought Taft name for the tiny Hustler rival, consider this; it starts at 1,353,000 Japanese Yen (around $14,000), meaning it's almost a hundred grand more expensive than the latest-generation Suzuki Hustler but by the looks of it, the Taft is slightly better looking than the Hustler, although some say it's like a complete mash-up between the Suzuki Jimny and the old Nissan Cube. Can't blame the design team, right? But there's more to the way it looks because with the optional extra, you can make the Taft look like the one as seen from last January's Tokyo Auto Salon. It's a concept car turned reality and now you can make it look like a concept car for you to try. Slippery, right?

2021 Daihatsu Taft interior

2021 Daihatsu Taft interior

Daihatsu states that the Taft's interior is made under the concept of "Backpack Style" and whatever the reason, the interior is all about comfort, functionality, and practicality fit for anyone who wish to get out of the city without concerning about the c-word the world's talking about lately. On the driver's side, you are greeted by your typical dashboard layout which involves an optional touch screen sat-nav, climate control, USB connectivity, an instrumental panel, and places to store your stuff. That's perfectly normal for a kei car like this but on the back, it's common sense. With the rear seats present, the boot can accommodate up to two luggage bags but if you're into logistics, the rear seats can be folded down to make room for some bigs picks. Best of all, it's easy to clean so you don't need to worry about getting spilled.

For those who are rushing to get to the vantage point in case of a meteor shower but stuck on traffic, the Taft has the ideal solution called the Skyfeel Top, a panoramic moonroof with the shade that can be closed or opened manually, which is nice. With this, you'll never miss those once-in-a-lifetime stuff that comes out in the night sky even when you're pinched by traffic jams.

2021 Daihatsu Taft

How about the way it drives? Well, since it was made to compete against the Hustler, the reborn Taft behaves like the Hustler on city centers and on open roads, only better thanks to its DNGA platform built beneath it and with the optional 4WD with Grip Support, it's not afraid to get wet and dirty. Sadly, it's got no stuff similar to the Citroen C3 Aircross but who cares?

The Taft is powered by a 660cc engine, in NA and turbo configuration, and with the CVT, the Taft delivers a combined WLTP-calculated 20.5km/L fuel economy, which is drastically less than the new Hustler, probably because the Taft doesn't have mild hybrid tech that the new Hustler had. Shame.

Because safety is the top priority in today's cars, the Taft comes with Daihatsu's Smart Assist suite of ADAS. There are 17 driving aids and some others loaded to the Taft to make it one of the safest kei crossovers to drive. Believe it or not, it's got more than the new Hustler had. Fact.

The new Taft may not be as tough and almighty as the original Taft, just like what happened to today's Rocky from last year, and not as efficient as its Suzuki Hustler rival by a drastic margin, but Daihatsu's putting on a show with their newest kei crossover that is bound to grab some headlines even in the "new normal" situation. With crossovers are all in the rage for Gen Z people, the Taft can be the ideal starting point for first time buyers and looks like they're in for a huge gamble in this new normal.

Photo: Daihatsu Motor Co., Ltd.