Daihatsu Opti

Daihatsu Opti: Which Version Should You Buy?

The Daihatsu Opti version to choose depends mainly on body style, transmission, drive system, and engine output. The first generation, produced from January 1992 through October 1998, is a Mini 5-doors with four versions, all using a 58 hp Gasoline engine and FWD.

The Daihatsu Opti version to choose depends mainly on body style, transmission, drive system, and engine output. The first generation, produced from January 1992 through October 1998, is a Mini 5-doors with four versions, all using a 58 hp Gasoline engine and FWD. The second generation, produced from November 1998 through August 2002, is a Sedan with 18 versions in the catalogue, although the supplied specifications detail 12 of them. Its documented choices span 45–58 hp, Manual or Automatic gearboxes, and FWD or AWD. Buyers who want the broadest technical choice should therefore start with the second generation; those who prefer the Mini 5-doors body and a uniform 58 hp specification should examine the first generation.

Daihatsu Opti generations: what changed?

The first generation is a Mini 5-doors offered from January 1992 to October 1998. Its four listed versions are mechanically close: every one is named either 0.7 MT or 0.7 AT, uses a 659 cc Gasoline inline 3-cylinder engine with no boost, and produces 58 hp and 64 Nm. The meaningful choice is between the 5-speed Manual and 4-speed Automatic, as every listed version is FWD. Some version records begin in August 1993, while others cover the generation from January 1992; all end in October 1998.

The second generation is a Sedan offered from November 1998 to August 2002. The catalogue records 18 modifications, with 12 specifications supplied here. All documented versions retain a 659 cc Gasoline inline 3-cylinder engine, but outputs include 45 hp and 54 Nm, 48 hp and 55 Nm, or 58 hp and 63 Nm. Transmission choices are a 5-speed Manual, a 3-speed Automatic, or—on one documented 58 hp FWD version—a 4-speed Automatic. Both FWD and AWD are available. Compared with the first generation’s 32-litre tank, the second generation has a 37-litre tank, an increase of 5 litres. Its FWD ground clearance remains 160 mm, while AWD versions have 150 mm.

Daihatsu Opti engine and version specs

Repeated version names are distinguished below by output, transmission, drive, and generation. All supplied Opti engines displace 659 cc, use Gasoline, have an inline 3-cylinder layout, and have no boost.

Because displacement is identical, power-per-litre comparisons are direct. The 45 hp engine delivers about 68.3 hp per litre, the 48 hp engine about 72.8 hp per litre, and the 58 hp engine about 88.0 hp per litre. Moving from 45 to 48 hp adds 3 hp and 1 Nm; moving from 48 to 58 hp adds 10 hp and 8 Nm. The 58 hp first-generation engine develops 64 Nm, which is 1 Nm more than the documented 58 hp second-generation engine.

The 45 and 48 hp second-generation engines have 2 valves per cylinder and a 9.5 compression ratio. The 58 hp engines have 4 valves per cylinder and a 10.5 compression ratio. Second-generation engines reach 45 or 48 hp at 6,400 rpm and their maximum torque at 3,600 rpm; the 58 hp engines reach maximum power at 7,600 rpm and maximum torque at 4,000 rpm. The first-generation 58 hp engine uses the same listed power and torque speeds.

Performance, mpg, and economy

For every documented 0.7 MT and 0.7 AT, acceleration from 0–100 km/h is not measured. Top speed is also not measured. City fuel consumption, highway fuel consumption, and combined fuel consumption are all not measured, so no supported mpg or litres-per-distance comparison can be made.

CO₂ output is not measured for every version, and an emissions class is not measured. The data therefore supports comparisons of power, torque, weight, tank capacity, transmission, and drive system, but not claims about real-world pace or fuel economy.

Fuel specification differs by generation. Every documented first-generation version uses fuel labelled 95, while every documented second-generation version uses fuel labelled 92. The first generation has a 32-litre tank; the second generation holds 37 litres. That additional capacity does not establish a longer driving range because fuel consumption is not measured.

Dimensions, weight, clearance, and wheel sizes

First-generation 0.7 MT versions have a kerb weight of 670 kg, giving approximately 11.6 kg per horsepower. Kerb weight for the first-generation 0.7 AT is not measured. Gross weight is not measured for all first-generation versions. Ground clearance is 160 mm, tank capacity is 32 litres, and wheel sizes are not measured. Front suspension is Independent, spring; the rear suspension specification is not measured. Braking uses front Disc and rear Drum units.

Second-generation FWD versions are lighter than comparable AWD choices and have 160 mm of ground clearance. The 45 hp 0.7 MT FWD weighs 730 kg, or about 16.2 kg per horsepower, while the 45 hp 0.7 AT FWD weighs 740 kg, or about 16.4 kg per horsepower. The 48 hp 0.7 MT FWD also weighs 730 kg, improving the ratio to about 15.2 kg per horsepower; the 48 hp 0.7 AT FWD weighs 740 kg, or about 15.4 kg per horsepower.

Among the 58 hp second-generation FWD choices, the 0.7 MT weighs 760 kg, or about 13.1 kg per horsepower, and the 0.7 AT weighs 770 kg, or about 13.3 kg per horsepower. This makes the 58 hp 0.7 MT FWD the strongest documented second-generation choice by weight per horsepower.

Second-generation AWD adds weight and reduces ground clearance to 150 mm. The 45 hp AWD 0.7 MT weighs 770 kg and the 0.7 AT weighs 780 kg, respectively 40 kg heavier than their FWD equivalents. At 48 hp, the AWD 0.7 MT weighs 780 kg, 50 kg more than the FWD Manual; the AWD 0.7 AT weighs 790 kg, 50 kg more than the FWD Automatic. The 58 hp AWD 0.7 MT weighs 800 kg, while the 58 hp AWD 0.7 AT weighs 810 kg.

Every second-generation version has a 37-litre tank. Gross weight and wheel sizes are not measured. Both front and rear suspension are Independent, spring, while the brakes are Ventilated disc at the front and Drum at the rear.

Which Daihatsu Opti version should you buy?

For the best documented power-to-weight result, choose the first-generation 0.7 MT with 58 hp. At 670 kg, it carries about 11.6 kg per horsepower, compared with about 13.1 kg per horsepower for the lightest documented 58 hp second-generation Sedan. It also provides a 5-speed Manual and 160 mm of clearance. The trade-offs are the smaller 32-litre tank and the Mini 5-doors body rather than the later Sedan.

For a second-generation FWD Sedan, the 58 hp 0.7 MT is the clearest performance-oriented specification. It produces 13 hp and 9 Nm more than the 45 hp 0.7 MT, yet weighs only 30 kg more. It also improves weight per horsepower from about 16.2 to 13.1 kg per horsepower. Buyers who want Automatic instead should favor the 58 hp 0.7 AT FWD: it has a 4-speed Automatic, whereas the documented 45 and 48 hp Automatic versions use a 3-speed Automatic.

If AWD is the priority, the 58 hp 0.7 MT offers the best documented AWD weight-per-power figure at about 13.8 kg per horsepower. The 58 hp 0.7 AT AWD is close at about 14.0 kg per horsepower but uses a 3-speed Automatic. Both have 150 mm of clearance, which is 10 mm less than the FWD versions, so AWD does not bring additional ground clearance in these specifications.

The 48 hp FWD versions form a middle option. Compared with their 45 hp equivalents, they add 3 hp and 1 Nm without adding kerb weight: both Manual versions weigh 730 kg and both Automatic versions weigh 740 kg. On the numbers supplied, that makes the 48 hp 0.7 MT and 0.7 AT preferable to the corresponding 45 hp FWD versions unless some unlisted consideration determines the choice.

Search terms such as Daihatsu Opti Classic, Daihatsu Opti Beex, Daihatsu Opti Aerodown Beex, or Daihatsu Opti Club Sport cannot be matched reliably to particular specifications from the supplied data. Likewise, there are no prices or sale listings with which to calculate what additional money buys. A purchase decision should therefore use the confirmed generation, body, exact 0.7 MT or 0.7 AT version, output, gearbox, and drive system rather than an unsupported trim-name or price comparison.