Subaru Vivio

The Subaru Vivio is a kei car that was introduced in March 1992, and manufactured by Subaru until October 1998. It has a 658 cc (52 PS) multi-point fuel-injected four-cylinder engine (44 PS DIN was claimed in Europe for the same engine), which is small enough to place it in the light car class, giving its owners large tax breaks in Japan. There was also a carbureted version with 42 PS (31 kW) in Japan, which equipped the Vivio Van version. The Vivio feels roomy considering its small size, thanks to a relatively tall profile and large windows. It is one of the lightest kei cars, weighing in at between 650 kg (1,433 lb) and 700 kg (1,543 lb) depending on the trim line.

History

The name "Vivio" is a reference to the engine's displacement of 660 written in Roman numerals (VI,VI,O), and also inspired by the word "vivid". It replaced the Rex that was introduced in the 1970s, and was itself superseded by the Subaru Pleo. It was available in 3 and 5-door versions commonly, with a two-door targa top version named T-top being available to special order from 1994. The T-top was built by Takada Kogyo, a convertible specialist who also assembled Nissan's Figaro and Silvia Varietta amongst other specialty cars.