Tommy Christmas program "Good things come in small packages"
It was a gray morning, with rain falling from low clouds to the famous Tokyo traffic worse Vehicle Idling lines were lined up three deep way, but I was able to pull into the blocked artery when I 'I finally found a hole.
Fortunately, I was driving a Suzuki Wagon R, easy adjustment in the claustrophobic world of Tokyo traffic.
The Wagon R has become a pint-sized legend here is classified as a Kei car, which means it is limited in length, width, engine size and power The Wagon R is itself less than 14 feet long, less than 5 feet wide and about 6 feet tall Despite these dimensions, it is quite spacious and comfortable, even for a 6-foot-3 US.
The Wagon R is not only the best selling models in the 58 Kei pronounced kay, short for keijidsha, which means light car category, Suzuki also offers it the best-selling model in Japan of any Sometime the next year, Suzuki plans to produce its three millionth Wagon R.
Impressive as this total is, it would be millions more if all variations Wagon R and benefits have been added, said Keigo Kanbara, a Suzuki spokesman in Tokyo last year, in the 14th year of the model on the market Wagon R s 221,066 were sold.
During my test drive, M. Kanbara and its associated marketing department, Tsuyoshi Takeshita, led before me in a Suzuki SUV help me find my way, even if the Wagon R came with a wonderful navigation system, I think they were a little more worried about the US could have difficulty reading signs, not to mention driving on the left, but the Wagon R was a snap to operate.
The dark gray test car with front wheel drive and a four-speed automatic transmission cleverly pulled into traffic A five-speed manual and a CVT are also available as all-wheel drive.
The engine has three cylinders and is limited by law to only 660 cc, or 66 liters 0 By comparison, the Suzuki sold smaller in America, SX4, a 2 liter 4-cylinder engine.
In base form, the power plant Wagon R produces 54 horsepower, which seems ridiculously pathetic as Suzuki makes motorcycles with two times larger engines that have four times the power.
Kei car category was originally created for low-income people who could barely afford a bike that is why engine sizes are limited to two thirds of a liter, which is motorcycle class.
Japanese law also limits the Kei cars not more than 64 horses But that hasn t stopped a restriction aftermarket industry equipment Kei-car hot rodding from gushing Kei cars are played, they are supercharged, turbocharged and charged with nitrogen- oxide the problem is that every two years, the cars must pass inspection.
Thus, tuners either sell them before the inspection takes place, or they have to take the camera off, M. Kanbara said.
Kei cars fill the roads of Tokyo Top, front and rear views of the Daihatsu Move; bottom, front and rear views of the Daihatsu Tanto.
Once the inspection is passed, I asked, does the equipment back on.
We can t know that, he said with a shy smile but probably Yeah sure course it does.
But even in the stock configuration, the Wagon R feels surprisingly lively He sprinted effortlessly to clear the intersection before the light changed to yellow free of the melee, the Wagon R has finally reached the high speed we were driving on Route 4 Shinjuku Mark Harano, president of American Suzuki, rode with me to answer questions and point out landmarks We went Yoyoki Park, where the 1964 Olympic Games took place, I was surprised by how many people were running, despite understandable rain leaves, I was told later, because Tokyo aspires to win the bidding for the 2016 Olympics.
On our left, we passed lush Shinjuku Gyoen, with its 20,000 trees, including 1,500 cherry trees.
Sometimes, in heavy traffic, surrounded by many more vehicles, Wagon R felt like a goldfish in a koi pond But about a third of the cars here are Kei cars, so you're swimming in a fry fellow school .
It was easy to locate other Kei cars because of their license plates and black special yellow As M. Harano noted, Suzuki makes most Keis, including those bearing the Mazda and Nissan badge, including the deliciously named Mazda Scrum and Nissan Moco Mitsubishi and Daihatsu most other Toyota does not offer a Kei car, but its interests are represented by Daihatsu, which he is the Smart Fortwo is the only car non-Japanese Kei, but it ranks ranked last in sales.
Most Kei cars are cars large for four people and two pieces of Suzuki luggage used to make a Kei cut racy called Cappuccino, now discontinued, which is highly prized by collectors scattered in traffic we fall Akasaka Palace were commercial vehicles with black and yellow plates that included cars delivery, flatbeds, panel trucks and even a cement mixer that looked as if it could hold more than a concrete half-court major mixers around US construction sites have a capacity of at least 10 cubic yards.
Yes, they are classified as kei cars, too, M. Takeshita told me before our drive.
I bet I could jump over it, I said the lorry was also told that there were ambulances as Kei.
These small vehicles resembled cars invaded kiddie Fisher-Price, but they are very useful in the streets, the streets of a channel and tiny parking spaces actually tight quarters in Tokyo and other major cities are part of the reason for Kei cars but they became popular and found enduring appeal for yet other reasons.
Until recently, the Kei cars were a way around certain laws that were originally exempt from emissions tests, insurance requirements and even parking regulations required people to show that they own or rent a legal parking space before you can register the vehicle.
The rules are the same for everyone now, M. Takeshita said.
As we pushed and a tie-up traffic in front of the busy Shinjuku station, I could see the appeal of such a small car in these tight spaces.
The Wagon R weighs approximately 1,800 pounds and not safety equipment, it would need to spend US crash tests, the main reason for Kei cars are not exported to the United States Adding safety equipment add the weight, meaning that the frame should be reinforced and the engine size increased to pull the car heavier, of course, reduce the high fuel consumption of the cars in Japan.
Yet Kei cars today have abdominal and shoulder seat belts and airbags before a slightly larger version with a larger engine, the Wagon R, is sold in Europe and some other countries So maybe Suzuki will one day sell a Wagon R or the US variant.
We look at a number of possibilities for the U S market, Hiroshi Tsuda, president of Suzuki Motor Corporation, said Kei cars during an interview at the Tokyo Motor Show last month.
Will the Americans take the Wagon R how Japanese well, did I mention the fuel efficiency figures of the car Your mileage may vary, but I averaged about 60 miles per gallon.
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Small good things, small packages, rear front, rear view before Daihatsu Daihatsu rear view.