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2024 Daihatsu Taft Review For The New Zealand Buyer
The Daihatsu Taft stands out in New Zealand with its boxy SUV-inspired design, combining compact kei car efficiency with a rugged, adventurous look. Its elevated ride height, practical interior, and signature glass roof offer a unique blend of style and everyday usability. While strong in its niche, it faces competition from the Suzuki Hustler, Honda N-Box, and Suzuki Spacia.
The Daihatsu Taft continues to build its presence in the New Zealand market as a distinctive kei crossover that prioritizes character, practicality, and efficiency. Its bold, upright design gives it a mini SUV feel, appealing to buyers who want something different from the usual city hatchbacks. Despite its small footprint, the Taft manages to deliver a confident road presence, helped by its squared-off styling and raised ground clearance.
Engine Options
The 2024 Daihatsu Taft comes with two engine options:
- 0.66L Naturally Aspirated 3-cylinder Petrol
- 0.66L Turbocharged 3-cylinder Petrol
Transmission Options
The 2024 Daihatsu Taft is equipped with a CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) across all variants.
2024 Daihatsu Taft Grades
- Daihatsu Taft X
- Daihatsu Taft G
- Daihatsu Taft G Turbo
- Daihatsu Taft G Chrome Venture
- Daihatsu Taft G Turbo Chrome Venture
For a detailed review of these grades and the best pick while buying this car, kindly refer to the 2024 Daihatsu Taft Buyer’s Guide.
2024 Daihatsu Taft Interior
The 2024 Daihatsu Taft interior focuses on practicality and openness, offering a simple yet functional space designed for everyday use. A key highlight is the “Sky Feel Top” panoramic glass roof, which brings in plenty of natural light and makes the cabin feel more spacious than expected for a kei car. This feature adds a sense of airiness that enhances both driver and passenger experience.
The dashboard layout is clean and straightforward, with a digital instrument cluster that clearly displays essential driving information. Controls are easy to reach and intuitive, making the Taft user-friendly even for new drivers. The elevated seating position, combined with large windows, provides excellent visibility, reinforcing its SUV-inspired character.
The front seats are comfortable enough for daily commuting, offering decent support without being overly plush. Materials used throughout the cabin lean towards durability rather than luxury, aligning with the Taft’s practical and slightly rugged personality.
At the rear, space is used efficiently. The split-folding rear seats allow for flexible configurations depending on passenger or cargo needs. While legroom is limited, the tall roof design ensures good headroom, helping maintain a comfortable environment for occupants.
Storage is another strong point, with multiple compartments spread across the cabin, including cupholders, door pockets, and dashboard storage areas. These small but useful features make daily driving more convenient.
In terms of technology, the Taft includes an infotainment system with smartphone connectivity, Bluetooth, and USB ports. It covers the essentials expected in this segment without trying to be overly advanced.
2024 Daihatsu Taft Exterior
The 2024 Daihatsu Taft stands out with a bold, boxy design that gives it a mini SUV presence. Its upright stance, squared proportions, and raised ride height create a rugged look that sets it apart from typical kei hatchbacks.
At the front, the Taft features a simple grille design paired with modern headlights, giving it a clean but confident face. Black cladding around the lower sections of the body and wheel arches enhances its tough appearance while also providing some protection against minor scratches.
From the side, the tall and boxy shape maximizes interior space while maintaining a compact footprint. The design is both practical and distinctive, with large windows that improve visibility and contribute to the airy feel inside the cabin. Roof rails on certain variants add to its lifestyle appeal and functionality.
The rear design is straightforward and functional, with vertically styled taillights and a wide-opening tailgate that makes loading and unloading easy. Overall, the Taft’s exterior successfully combines rugged styling with urban-friendly proportions.
2024 Daihatsu Taft Cargo Capacity
The 2024 Daihatsu Taft offers a flexible approach to cargo space, making it suitable for a variety of daily needs. With the rear seats in place, the cargo area is adequate for groceries, small bags, or everyday items.
Folding down the rear seats significantly increases usable space, creating a flat loading floor that can handle larger items such as camping gear or sports equipment. This adaptability makes the Taft a practical choice for drivers who want a compact car that can handle both city duties and occasional lifestyle demands.
2024 Daihatsu Taft Fuel Consumption
0.66L Naturally Aspirated fuel consumption: 21.5 km/L
0.66L Turbocharged fuel consumption: 19.8 km/L
2024 Daihatsu Taft Fuel Tank Capacity
The 2024 Daihatsu Taft has a fuel tank capacity of 30 liters.
2024 Daihatsu Taft Ground Clearance
The 2024 Daihatsu Taft has a ground clearance of 190mm, giving it solid usability for rough urban roads, potholes, and light gravel tracks commonly found in mixed driving conditions.
2024 Daihatsu Taft Performance
The 2024 Daihatsu Taft uses a 0.66L 3-cylinder engine focused on efficiency and city driving. The naturally aspirated version makes about 52 hp, while the turbo produces around 64 hp for better acceleration and hill performance.A mild hybrid system improves low-speed response and fuel economy, especially in stop-start traffic. It is not a performance vehicle, but it does its urban role well.
Its compact size, light steering, and soft suspension make it easy to drive in tight city spaces, with good comfort over rough roads. A CVT gearbox keeps power delivery smooth and fuel use low.
Front-wheel drive is standard, with selected all-wheel drive variants for better traction on slippery or loose surfaces, mainly for light off-road use.
Safety equipment depends on trim but generally includes airbags, ABS, stability control, hill-start assist, and basic driver aids.
2024 Daihatsu Taft Reliability
The Daihatsu Taft benefits from Daihatsu’s reputation for building durable and simple small cars. Its engine and hybrid components are based on proven technology used across the brand’s kei lineup, which supports long-term reliability when properly maintained.
Its simple mechanical layout also means fewer complex systems compared to larger modern SUVs, which helps reduce long-term ownership issues. Regular servicing is key to maintaining efficiency and durability.
2024 Daihatsu Taft Maintenance Schedule
At 5,000 km, the Taft typically requires an engine oil and oil filter change.
At 10,000 km, a more detailed service is recommended, including inspection of the air filter, cabin filter, brakes, tires, and all fluid levels.
For AWD variants, additional attention is required for drivetrain components to ensure smooth operation over time.
For a full breakdown, owners are advised to refer to the official maintenance schedule provided in the owner’s manual.
2024 Daihatsu Taft Competitors
- Suzuki Hustler
- Suzuki Spacia
- Honda N-Box
- Mitsubishi eK Cross
- Nissan Dayz Highway Star
- Mazda Flair Crossover
For those interested in buying the Daihatsu Taft, we have prepared a separate Buyer’s Guide with details on what to look out for when buying a used one and the common pitfalls to avoid. Click here to purchase the Buyer’s Guide.
If you are looking to purchase the Suzuki Hustler, email us directly via info@newzealandmotors.com, and we will get back to you immediately.