A sport/utility minicar with VW New Beetle cuteness, the Daihatsu U4B is an adorable concept for a city car with rugged ambitions. A tiny 660 cc three-cylinder DOHC turbocharged engine routes power through the four-speed automatic transmission and a four-wheel-drive system. While this combination sounds like a sure-fire bug splat on a Ford Excursion's grille in the U.S., the thrifty combination may have appeal in inclement foreign markets where fuel efficiency and powerplant taxes are the dominant factors in purchase decisions. The tidy package includes an ovoid interior with four-passenger seating in a sporty yet basic interior. The trick feature here is the five-plate glass roof. Each plate angles up and slides back for a large moonroof opening, solving the engineering challenge of where to slide a traditional one-piece unit.
