Nissan Sakura EV kei car beats sports cars, SUVs to become 2022/23 Japan Car of the Year

The Japan Car of the Year (JCOTY) Awards has recognized some incredible vehicles over the last 42 years.

Fans of Japanese cars may recognize winners like the Toyota MR2 (1984), Nissan Silvia (1988), Mitsubishi FTO (1994), and Mazda Roadster (2005 and 2015).

The 2022/23 Japan Car of the Year awardee breaks the mold by being the first kei car ever to bag the coveted title – the Nissan Sakura, which was launched on May 2022 and is named after Japan’s national flower. It beat ten other prominent cars, sports cars, and SUVs to take the highly-coveted domestic title:

• Hyundai Ioniq 5
• Honda Civic e:HEV / Civic Type R
• Land Rover Range Rover
• BMW iX
• Mazda CX-60 e-Skyactiv D
• Nissan Fairlady Z
• Nissan X-Trail
• Suzuki Alto
• Toyota Crown
• Renault Arkana

Around 60 individuals, composed of automotive writers, journalists, and industry experts, made up the judging panel that decided on the Nissan Sakura's recognition.

A kei car (short for keijidosha or “light automobile”) follows the regulations of Japan's smallest highway-legal passenger cars.

The entry-level Sakura is also the second Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) to win the prestigious award. The first was the Sakura’s big brother, the Nissan LEAF (2011).

Giant box for tiny streets

The Sakura was also named 2022/23 Kei Car of the Year and is the cheapest EV on sale in Japan, as of press time, with the range starting at ¥2,333,100 or around ₱949,000.

Kei cars were born in 1949 to provide mass mobility following Japan’s loss in World War 2. Back then, these could be no more than 2,800 millimeters long and 1,000 millimeters wide, with a maximum engine displacement of 150 cc.

The regulations have been updated several times since then. From 1998, a kei car may not be longer than 3,400 millimeters and no wider than 1,480 millimeters, with engines of up to 660 cc and a maximum power output of 64 PS.

For comparison, a Mitsubishi Mirage hatchback is 3,795 millimeters long and 1,665 millimeters wide. It is powered by a 1.2-liter, twin-cam, 12-valve inline-3 gasoline engine producing 78 PS and 100 Nm of torque.

These rules contribute to the odd appearance of many kei cars with their tall, boxy bodies to maximize passenger space and tiny overhangs to help thread through tight city streets.

Distinctive styling

The Sakura carries over traditional kei car styling while adding distinctive features like an enormous front windshield, a large, black front grill, and cross-shaped alloy wheels.

As you head back, there’s an upward kink at the rear window, huge taillights, and a large rear windscreen.

Nissan said in a press statement that the Sakura will contribute greatly to the spread of EVs in Japan.

“Combining a minivehicle with an EV not only ensures mobility for many people, including the elderly,” the Japanese carmaker said. 

“It also shows the potential for solving societal issues, in consideration of the anticipated decrease in the number of gasoline stations and public bus transport resulting from carbon-neutral activities,” Nissan added.

180-kilometer maximum range

The Sakura is a product of a joint venture between Nissan and Mitsubishi called NMKV, which stands for Nissan Mitsubishi Kei Vehicle.

Its siblings include the gasoline-powered Nissan Dayz and Mitsubishi ek X, the latter being offered as an EV.

The Sakura has a 20-kWh battery pack connected to a front-mounted electric motor. The system produces 64 PS and a claimed maximum range of 180 kilometers. 

The little EV also comes with 360° Safety Assist, which provides driver-assistance features usually seen in much larger luxury cars.

What do you think of Japan’s latest Car of the Year?

Considering the illustrious company the Nissan Sakura beat to the JCOTY titles, what does it say about the Japanese auto industry that has been biding its time in the shift to electric? Will this finally convince Japanese legacy car brands to go double time on electrification?