For the 2011 model year, the Boon brings the same overall size, interior space and styling, but packs a wide range of changes to the mechanics. The new model features engines with a higher fuel efficiency, lower emissions and a new CVT transmission.
The engine which powers the Boon is a 1,000 cc 1KR-FE unit, providing a fuel efficiency rating for the two-wheel drive models of 22.5 km/l or, how the rest of the world calculates, 4 l/100 km (58 mpg). The other unit on the Boon, the 1.3l, achieves 21.0 km/l ((4.7l/100 km or 50 mpg). As said, both units are paired to a CVT transmission.
Safety wise, the Boon comes equipped with VSC, SRS, side airbags for the driver and front-passenger seats, SRS curtain shield airbags for front and rear seats and Dynamic Support Headrest.
It also employs the same technologies now common in other vehicles, like antilock braking system (ABS) with an electronic brake-force distribution (EBD).
"The Boon was the first vehicle for the Japanese market that DMC developed jointly with Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC), and since its initial launch in June 2004 it has been popular among a wide range of customers thanks to features that include an easy-to-maneuver compact body, individualistic styling, and a roomy interior," Daihatsu says in a release.
Prices for the new model have not yet been announced, but Daihatsu hopes to sell 800 units each month.
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