Mitsubishi eK

The Mitsubishi eK is a Japanese kei car from Mitsubishi Motors, based on the long-running Mitsubishi Minica, and first introduced on October 11, 2001 at ¥910,000 to ¥1,108,000. According to the company the name stands for "excellent Keijidōsha", or "excellent minicar".

Contents

• Technical details
• Annual production and sales
• References

In its first generation, it was available either as an eK Wagon (introduced on October 11, 2001), eK Sport (introduced on September 2, 2002), eK Classy (introduced on May 26, 2003) or eK Active (introduced on May 25, 2004). A facelifted eK Wagon was introduced on December 20, 2004. On December 20, 2005, the eK Classy was discontinued.

The second generation eK Wagon and eK Sport were released on September 13, 2006, priced from ¥913,500 to ¥1,484,700. The eK Active was discontinued at the time of the second generation's launch. A facelifted eK Wagon and eK Sport were released on August 21, 2008.

The third generation eK Wagon and eK Sport (now eK Custom) were released on June 6, 2013.

Immediately upon its release it was the recipient of the "Good Design Award" by the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry in 2001. While the initial sales target was 10,000 units per month, it sold 13,000 in its first four days, and 20,000 by the end of October 2001. It is Mitsubishi's highest volume model in the Japanese domestic market, and total sales to 2005 are approximately 480,000. In Japan, it was sold at a specific retail chain called Car Plaza. Since June 8, 2005, Nissan Motors has received 36,000 eK Wagons annually from Mitsubishi, to be sold within the domestic market as the Nissan Otti. The Otti was replaced by the Nissan Dayz and Nissan Dayz Highway Star on June 6, 2013, although the Otti was still sold alongside the Dayz until being discontinued on June 28, 2013.

In April 2016, MMC admitted that its employees had falsified fuel-efficiency data for the eK Wagon, eK Space, Nissan Dayz and Nissan Dayz Roox. The resultant scandal culminated in Nissan acquiring a controlling interest in MMC the following month.