Nissan, Mitsubishi debut electric Kei car twins that are so kawaii 

In Japan, Nissan Motor and Mitsubishi Motors Corp. unveiled a new Kei car model. For the Nissan it is dubbed as the Sakura, Mitsubishi in turn has the more serious sounding eK X EV, with the X read as “cross.”   

A short TV commercial for the all-new Nissan Sakura. Yes, the Sakura and the Mitsubishi eK X EV both share the same platform

Now both of these are based on the same platform and are full-on electric-powered vehicles. What makes them special though, is the fact that both look like miniaturized versions of existing larger Mitsubishi and Nissan models. 

For the eK X EV, it looks like a shrunken, cartoon version of the seven-seater Mitsubishi Outlander. A “chibi” version if you will. 

The Mitsubishi eK X EV

The Nissan Sakura of course, comes with its own design, but it is no less adorable-looking. In fact, one can say that if the larger Nissan Ariya crossover is a Labrador retriever, then the Sakura is a pug. 

Despite being small though, both the eK X EV and the Sakura are actually quite spacious enough for four occupants. Mitsubishi even claims that their half of the EV Kei car pair is now the best in class in terms of legroom, headroom, as well as cargo room.  

They are also far from barebones. The eK X EV can come kitted out with several driving assist features. Key among these is the MI-PILOT parking assist feature, adaptive cruise control, and lane-keep assist. The Nissan Sakura, on the other hand, gets the ProPILOT parking assist feature as well. It also gets a nine-inch headunit with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. 

The Nissan Sakura

Of note, the Sakura and the eK X EV were co-developed by Nissan and Mitsubishi. And so, it's no surprise that they use the same powertrain.  

At maximum, the electronic motor on both the Nissan and Mitsubishi Kei cars can deliver 63 horsepower and 195 Nm of torque. It allows both models to reach a top speed of 130 km/h, and it offers a range of 180 kilometers. That’s not bad for a car that’s only around 3,395mm long.  

That said, both the eK X EV and the Sakura aren’t that quick. But considering their compact size and power output, these are two models that we think will do well on tight Philippine city roads.  

Check out the Nissan Sakura's cockpit

Lastly, the Mitsubishi eK X EV can be had for 1,848,000 yen. That’s around Php 758,400 in the current exchange rates. That price already includes Japan’s 10 percent consumption tax, though it also accounts for a 550,000-yen (Php 225,700) subsidy for EVs. So yes, it's actually a pretty affordable car. 

For more car news and the latest car releases, keep it here on the Philippines’ largest automotive portal.