The cut-price Daihatsu brand won’t be coming back to Australia anytime soon despite parent company Toyota making some strategic changes among its array of brands.
Daihatsu was one of the five auto brands under the Toyota Motor Group umbrella announced last month as part of a new strategy, with it and Toyota sitting below GR, Lexus and Century.
At the 2025 Japan Mobility Show (JMS), the small car specialist showed off the Mazda MX-5-rivalling ‘K-Open’ successor to its cutesy Copen convertible – sold here between 2002-2006 – among several commercial vehicles.
However, there are no plans for Daihatsu to make a comeback in Australia.
“It’s not on our product plan, but is it an opportunity? Well of course,” Toyota Australia vice president of sales and marketing, Sean Hanley, told CarExpert when asked whether Daihatsu could come Down Under to fight cut-price Chinese brands.
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“The beauty of being a global car company is we do have these options now. So, now that this world’s opening up, we can surely look at it in the future.”
The Daihatsu brand was axed in Australia in 2005, its last cars sold the following year, having operated in Australia since 1975.
Known for small, affordable models such as the Mira and Charade hatchbacks, Copen sports car as well as Rocky and Feroza SUVs, Toyota Australia took over distribution in 2000 before announcing its closure five years later.
Toyota has been a shareholder in Daihatsu since 1967, and took a majority stake in 1998 before acquiring the brand outright in 2016.
A diminishing global role saw Daihatsu stop selling cars in the US in 1992, and despite weathering the global financial crisis, it was axed in the UK in 2011 and in Europe in 2013.
Daihatsu predominantly focuses on Japan and Southeast Asia, building its models in right-hand drive.
It has even sold GR Sport versions of the outgoing Copen sports car through Toyota dealers in Japan.
Asked if the Daihatsu brand could give the broader group an opportunity to offer vehicles to Australians at a lower price point to counter cheaper Chinese models, Mr Hanely reiterated no commitment had been made.
“There are no plans for Daihatsu to come to Australia,” Mr Hanley reiterated.
“The good news is there’s five great brands to consider in the global company, so I think it’s a great place to be when you’ve got this sort of scope.”