Mizuiro Karai '12
In the wake of the recent financial crisis, a decline in kei car sales for Mizuiro in favour of other automakers necessitated a new model by the company. Having spent a year in development, the resulting Mizuiro Karai (花蕾; flower bud) combined sportiness with practicality and value.
The Karai was instantly recognizable thanks in no small part to its swooping, rounded-off body and small, efficient LED headlights. It also differed significantly from other kei cars in that it had a kei-sized flat-4 engine as opposed to the de facto standard inline-3. Power from said engine was also transferred to the rear wheels to help harness its limited maximum output.
The Karai, as Mizuiro’s new flagship kei car, sported a unique badge in the shape of a flower bud. While it did not have as much cargo space as its competitors due to the unusual body shape, they were in turn somewhat over-optimized for practicality and lacked the finesse of the Karai, which served as Mizuiro’s return to form.
Karai
SPECS
Layout FR
Engine Name MBK1-4D
Aspiration TB
Displacement 660 cc
Peak Power 47 kW (63 hp) @ 6300 RPM
Peak Torque 77 Nm (57 ft-lb) @ 5300 RPM
Weight 900 kg (1983 lb)
Weight Distribution Front/Rear 54/45
STARTING PRICE
¥800,000 JDM
COLOURS
Ardour Red
Tangerine
Hornet Yellow
Vivid Green
Electric Blue
Pacific Blue
Sandy Khaki
Steel Gold
Katsuobushi
Ethereal White
Sumi Black
Layout FR
Engine Name MBK1-4D
Aspiration TB
Displacement 660 cc
Peak Power 47 kW (63 hp) @ 6300 RPM
Peak Torque 77 Nm (57 ft-lb) @ 5300 RPM
Weight 900 kg (1983 lb)
Weight Distribution Front/Rear 54/45
STARTING PRICE
¥800,000 JDM
COLOURS
Ardour Red
Tangerine
Hornet Yellow
Vivid Green
Electric Blue
Pacific Blue
Sandy Khaki
Steel Gold
Katsuobushi
Ethereal White
Sumi Black