Daihatsu HVS: First Look

Motoring Channel Staff - 15/9/2005

Daihatsu exhibited three concept cars at the Frankfurt motor show, each of which foretelling good times at the Toyota-owned Japanese company.

The first - and mosy interesting - concept on display was the HVS, or Hybrid Vehicle Sports to give it the full billing.

Delivering the performance of a 2.0-litre sports car with better fuel economy than a 1.0-litre car, the hybrid MX-5 wannabe was one of the surprise packages of the Frankfurt Motor Show.

In addition to its hybrid drive system, it also takes advantage of electromagnetic torque-control mechanisms that work on the right and left rear wheels independently, giving the HVS improved high-speed cornering abilities.

The thought-provoking design reconciles environmental compatibility and sporty driving, proving that combining the two is not actually a difficult thing. A hybrid powerplant system based on a 1.5-litre DVVT petrol engine has been optimised for sports driving, achieving both a low fuel consumption of 4.1 litres/100km and quick standing start acceleration.

The HVS's power unit is an advanced hybrid system that combines two motors in the front plus an additional motor in the rear. The electrically operated 4WD vehicle transmits torque to the wheels with a minimum loss of power to deliver a safe driving performance as well.

Thanks to its lightweight compact body and the use of hybrid technology, the HVS boasts a fuel consumption of only 4.1 litres/100 km (EU combined mode) and CO2 emissions of only 101 g/km — both amazingly low for a sports car.

Combined with this hybrid unit is a newly developed 1.5-litre petrol engine with DVVT. Fine tuned for the HVS, this engine runs on premium petrol and is equipped with a special design muffler. The HVS delivers powerful standing starts and overtaking acceleration in the low to medium speed range as well as lasting acceleration even at high revs. Suffice it to say, this car will no doubt spawn clones, including a Mazda MX-5 hybrid in the mid term.