GT5 Transcripts/Daihatsu Move L600

Daihatsu created the Move to do one thing: to topple Suzuki's Wagon R from the K-car pedestal. Because Daihatsu introduced the Move at the height of the Wagon R's popularity, the company needed to show the Japanese public that the Move was more special. One way of doing this was giving the Move four doors from the outset (the first-generation Wagon R came as a 3-door with no driver's side rear door). Another added plus was allowing the rear hatch to open and close sideways so it can function in tight spaces, as opposed to the door swinging up like in the Wagon R.

The base Move came with a 51 HP inline-3, while the next grade up got a 54 HP fuel-injected three cylinder. The top-of-the-line version, the CR, came powered by a 63 HP turbocharged DOHC inline-4 mated to a 5-speed manual transmission or 4-speed automatic. The CR came as an FF (Front engine, Front drive) or F/AWD (Front engine/All Wheel Drive).

Suzuki countered the Move in 1997 by spicing up the Wagon R. Daihatsu, in turn, countered with the Move+, a radical version of the Move, with a flashy oversized front grille and "Aerodown Custom" look that included a lowered body. The Move+ was such a hit with the young crowd that Suzuki released a similar trim level with the Wagon R not much later.