Tokyo 2015: Daihatsu Hinata brings the outside in
Nature-themed kei concept features wooden IP and grass-like carpet
Tokyo Motor Show’s kei car concepts are reason enough to make the trip to Japan. A case in point is the Daihatsu Hinata, a concept that fuses exterior charm with an intriguing nature-themed cabin.
The exterior is a thinly-veiled tease for an upcoming replacement for the Move Conte. However, the concept does feature some nicely-detailed front and rear lamps that use translucent, floating LED blocks.
The theme is carried to the side repeater, which is integrated into the base of the door mirror to good effect.
In a hint towards the nature-themed interior, the tyre sidewalls feature a painted leaf pattern.
Inside, each of the four, heavily product-design-influenced seats can be moved forward and back and rotated, allowing ease of access in what feels like a hint of deference to Japanese concerns about its ageing population.
The grass-like carpet, large windows and cream and wood colour and trim theme gives the cabin an appropriate sense of calm.
A touchscreen and an upper gauge pack feature graphics that continue the wood theme, albeit digitally, while the lower centre console houses HVAC controls which appear to glow through its wood finish – an interesting approach to combining new tech with natural materials.