Mitsuoka Buddy 20ST (FF / CVT) [Test drive] No longer original

The buddy, which is scheduled to start delivery in mid-June 2021, is likely to be a hit that has never been seen in recent years, probably because it is Mitsuoka's first SUV. At the time of the official announcement in November 2020, the annual production plan was 150 units, but it seems that the order has greatly exceeded expectations from the reservation stage. Therefore, we decided to change the production method from cell production, in which one craftsman completes one by one, to line production by assembly line, and to increase production to 300 units a year, which is double the initial plan.

Speaking of Mitsuoka, it is also the smallest automobile manufacturer in Japan that can develop in-house from the car body, such as "Zero One" and "Orochi". However, this buddy is a Mitsuoka made by the same familiar method as the current products such as "Himiko", "Butte", "Galue", which mainly modifies the exterior based on the existing mass-produced car.

The base of the buddy is the "Toyota RAV4", which has been redesigned around the front and rear ends as usual. The motif is "American SUV from the 1970s to the 1980s". The two-story headlights and grille look like Chevrolet, and many people say that they are similar to the company's "Blazer." However, the bonnet with a raised center and the inverted slant nose are also shaped like a "Ford Bronco", and the rear gate with wood panels and the vertically long tail lamp look like a "Jeep Wagoneer". Buddy's design may not be a "replica" for a particular model, but rather a "something impersonator".