Daihatsu Midget

Daihatsu Midget: which version to buy

The Daihatsu Midget in this catalogue is one generation — 2 generation, April 1996 to July 2001, Microvan, four versions, all 0.7 gasoline, all RWD. There is no second generation here to “step up” into, and no restyling listed as a separate generation. The choice is only among four powertrains that share the same 659 cm³ inline-3, the same 150 mm ground clearance, and the same 31 L tank.

The Daihatsu Midget in this catalogue is one generation — 2 generation, April 1996 to July 2001, Microvan, four versions, all 0.7 gasoline, all RWD. There is no second generation here to “step up” into, and no restyling listed as a separate generation. The choice is only among four powertrains that share the same 659 cm³ inline-3, the same 150 mm ground clearance, and the same 31 L tank. Two of them are named 0.7 MT and two are named 0.7 AT; they are not the same car. Split them by power: 31 hp versus 33 hp. That 2 hp gap, the gearbox, the fuel system, and kerb weight are the whole buying decision.

Specs: four versions, two names

Engine placement is Front, longitudinal on all four. Compression is 9.5 and bore × stroke is 68 × 60.5 on all four. The 31 hp pair uses Carburetor; the 33 hp pair uses Distributed injection (multi-point). Front brakes are Disc, rear brakes are Drum. Front suspension is Independent, spring; rear is Dependent, leaf spring.

Which generation changed what

2 generation (1996-04-01 – 2001-07-31) is the only generation in the data: Microvan, 4 versions. There is no earlier or later generation in this dataset to compare against, so “which generation” is not a choice. Everything below is version-versus-version arithmetic inside that one run.

Engine: 31 hp carburetor vs 33 hp multi-point

Specific output on the shared 659 cm³:

• 0.7 MT (31 hp) and 0.7 AT (31 hp): 31 ÷ 0.659 ≈ 47.0 hp per litre
• 0.7 MT (33 hp) and 0.7 AT (33 hp): 33 ÷ 0.659 ≈ 50.1 hp per litre

The extra 2 hp is about 6.5% more peak power (2 ÷ 31). Torque rises by 1 Nm (51 vs 50), about 2%. Peak torque moves from 3200 rpm (carburetor) to 4000 rpm (Distributed injection (multi-point)). The injected pair makes its extra newton-metre higher in the rev range; the carburetor pair puts its 50 Nm 800 rpm earlier.

Peak power rpm is the same 4900 on all four. Nobody here has boost: nadduv is No. Fuel is 92 on all four. You are not choosing a larger engine; you are choosing carburetor plus 31 hp versus multi-point plus 33 hp, then Manual versus Automatic.

Weight per horsepower (the real split)

Kerb mass is the largest number that actually differs:

• 0.7 MT (31 hp): 590 kg → 590 ÷ 31 ≈ 19.0 kg per hp (lightest, best mass-to-power of the four)
• 0.7 AT (31 hp): 670 kg → 670 ÷ 31 ≈ 21.6 kg per hp (heaviest relative to power)
• 0.7 MT (33 hp): 680 kg → 680 ÷ 33 ≈ 20.6 kg per hp
• 0.7 AT (33 hp): 630 kg → 630 ÷ 33 ≈ 19.1 kg per hp

Mass deltas versus the lightest 0.7 MT (31 hp, 590 kg):

• 0.7 AT (31 hp) is 80 kg heavier (+13.6%)
• 0.7 AT (33 hp) is 40 kg heavier (+6.8%)
• 0.7 MT (33 hp) is 90 kg heavier (+15.3%)

The 33 hp automatic is 50 kg lighter than the 33 hp manual (630 vs 680). The 31 hp automatic is 80 kg heavier than the 31 hp manual. Automatic does not always mean heavier in this table: it depends which 0.7 AT you mean.

Gross weight is not measured on all four. Ground clearance is 150 mm on all four — no version sits higher. Tank is 31 L on all four. Wheel sizes are not measured on all four.

Performance and mpg: not measured

0–100 km/h is not measured for 0.7 MT (31 hp), 0.7 AT (31 hp), 0.7 MT (33 hp), and 0.7 AT (33 hp). Top speed is not measured for all four. City, highway, and combined consumption are not measured for all four. CO2 and eco class are not measured for all four.

You cannot pick a version on claimed acceleration or mpg from this dataset. The only proxies are kerb weight and kg/hp above. On those proxies, 0.7 MT (31 hp) at 19.0 kg/hp and 0.7 AT (33 hp) at 19.1 kg/hp sit together; 0.7 MT (33 hp) at 20.6 and 0.7 AT (31 hp) at 21.6 sit behind.

Gearbox: 4-speed Manual vs 3-speed Automatic

Both manuals are Manual, 4. Both automatics are Automatic, 3. Drive is RWD on all four. There is no AWD option in the data.

What the extra ratio buys is only the fourth gear on the manuals. What the automatic buys is three ratios and no clutch pedal. The 31 hp 0.7 AT pays for that with 80 kg versus its matching 0.7 MT. The 33 hp 0.7 AT is actually the lighter of the two 33 hp cars.

Which version to choose

If you want the lowest kerb weight and the best kg/hp in the catalogue: 0.7 MT (31 hp). 590 kg, Carburetor, Manual 4, 50 Nm at 3200 rpm, 19.0 kg/hp. You give up 2 hp and multi-point injection. You keep the earliest torque peak in the set.

If you want the extra 2 hp and multi-point injection without a clutch: 0.7 AT (33 hp). 33 hp, 51 Nm at 4000 rpm, Distributed injection (multi-point), Automatic 3, 630 kg, 19.1 kg/hp — almost the same mass-to-power as the lightest manual. Versus the 31 hp 0.7 AT you gain 2 hp and lose 40 kg (630 vs 670). That is the automatic that does not punish you on weight.

If you want 33 hp and Manual: 0.7 MT (33 hp). Same engine as the 33 hp automatic (33 hp, 24 kW, 51 Nm, Distributed injection (multi-point)), Manual 4, but 680 kg — the heaviest kerb in the table, 90 kg over the 31 hp manual and 50 kg over the 33 hp automatic. You buy the extra power and the fourth gear, and you carry the most mass per car.

If you want Automatic and will accept carburetor 31 hp: 0.7 AT (31 hp). Same 31 hp / 50 Nm / Carburetor as the light manual, Automatic 3, 670 kg, 21.6 kg/hp — the weakest mass-to-power figure here. Versus 0.7 AT (33 hp) you have 2 hp less and 40 kg more. Unless you specifically need the 31 hp carburetor automatic, the numbers prefer the 33 hp 0.7 AT.

Problems / reliability as a buying filter: this dataset does not list failure rates, recalls, or service intervals. What it does list: Carburetor on the 31 hp pair versus Distributed injection (multi-point) on the 33 hp pair; Disc front / Drum rear on all; Independent, spring front and Dependent, leaf spring rear on all. Do not invent a “more reliable generation” — there is only 2 generation.

Dimensions that do not decide the purchase: tank 31 L, clearance 150 mm, displacement 659 cm³, 3 Inline cylinders, No boost, RWD, 92 fuel, compression 9.5, 68 × 60.5 bore × stroke. Those are identical. Wheel size is not measured. Gross weight is not measured. MPG is not measured.

Short ranking by the numbers we have

1. 0.7 MT (31 hp) — lightest (590 kg), best kg/hp (19.0), torque at 3200 rpm, Carburetor, Manual 4. 2. 0.7 AT (33 hp) — 33 hp, multi-point, 630 kg, 19.1 kg/hp, Automatic 3. Closest automatic to the light manual on mass-to-power. 3. 0.7 MT (33 hp) — 33 hp and Manual 4, but 680 kg and 20.6 kg/hp. 4. 0.7 AT (31 hp) — Automatic 3 with 31 hp and 670 kg, 21.6 kg/hp.

There is no price in the data, so “what the extra money buys” can only mean what the extra 2 hp, the extra 1 Nm, the gearbox, and the kilogrammes buy. They buy a different fuel system and a different kerb weight, not a different body, not a different generation, and not a measured 0–100 or mpg figure.