Mitsuoka Viewt: a Jaguar Mark 2 in Nissan March clothes

The Mitsuoka Viewt is a series of retro-styled subcompact cars made by the Japanese firm Mitsuoka, intended to resemble the 1963 Jaguar Mark 2. It has been built since January 1993, first on the Nissan March and later on the Toyota Yaris, and is Mitsuoka’s best-selling model.

Mitsuoka Viewt at a glance

Based on one source: the English Wikipedia article on the Viewt.

History of the Mitsuoka Viewt

The first Viewt was introduced in January 1993 on the basis of the Nissan March K11. Mitsuoka replaced the March’s hatchback with a fixed rear window and a rounded boot, and swapped the front grille and headlamp assembly for one closely resembling that of the Jaguar Mark II. In standard form the interior was much the same as the March’s, though leather seats and wood trim could be added at extra cost. The 1.0- and 1.3-litre engines were shared with the donor car, and in November 2001 the larger engine grew from 1,275 to 1,348 cc in step with changes to the March and Micra.

Changes to the March were usually echoed in the Viewt: when the Nissan received a new dashboard, the Viewt received it too, along with a new wood kit. After the March convertible appeared in 1997, Mitsuoka developed a Viewt convertible that used the Jaguar-style front but had a unique built-out rear. At the same time the car became available as a three- and five-door hatchback.

The second generation arrived in September 2005, based on the K12 March, and followed the donor car’s rounder cabin and reshaped rear door while keeping the Jaguar-style front and rear. New safety rules for 2009 meant that Viewts could not be based on cars built after 1 January 2009, so Mitsuoka kept converting 2008 cars and briefly halted production; when it resumed in October 2009 the rear gained enclosed tail lights and lost its bumper overriders, and the revised car was shown at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show. Engines were 1.2, 1.4 and 1.5 litres with automatic or manual gearboxes. The only three-door was the 12SR, built from used March 12SRs, and from March 2009 Mitsuoka also converted used K12 hatchbacks as the Cute.

The third generation first appeared at the 2012 Bangkok Motor Show and went on sale on 23 May 2012, based on the Thai-built K13 March. It came in four grades — 12ST, 12ST Premium, 12LX and 12DX — all with a CVT. From 15 July 2015 it was joined by the Viewt Nadeshiko, a hatchback that used the March’s own tail lights to keep the price well below the saloon’s; its overall width was 15 cm less thanks to redesigned bumpers, and it was front-wheel drive only. When the March left the Japanese market Mitsuoka announced the end of Viewt production in January 2023, though it continued converting suitable used Nissans.

The fourth generation, called the Viewt Story, is based on the Toyota Yaris XP210. It was introduced in February 2023 and released for sale in September 2023. The range comprises 1.5-litre petrol cars in 15LX and 15DX form, 1.0-litre cars in 10LX and 10DX form, and 1.5-litre hybrids as Hybrid LX and Hybrid DX. The 1.5-litre models can be had with a six-speed manual, and four-wheel drive is offered on the 1.5-litre and hybrid cars. Output is 51 kW for the 1.0-litre, between 88 and 92 kW for the 1.5-litre petrol and 67 kW from the hybrid’s engine, 85 kW for the system as a whole; the 1.0-litre was dropped in May 2026.

Every Viewt is made by transporting completed March and Yaris cars to Mitsuoka, stripping the interior and exterior of the body and customising them by hand at Toyama. Over the thirty-year production period of the Nissan-based car around 13,000 examples were sold, and along with the later Galue the Viewt encouraged larger Japanese manufacturers to produce retro-styled versions of their own cars.

Design and features

• Jaguar-style front: a grille and headlamp assembly closely modelled on the 1963 Jaguar Mark 2.
• Familiar mechanicals: engines, gearboxes and much of the cabin come from the Nissan March or Toyota Yaris.
• Hand-built conversion: each donor car is stripped and rebuilt by hand at Mitsuoka’s works in Toyama.
• Hatchback, saloon and convertible: three body styles offered over the model’s life.

Mitsuoka Viewt versions

• Viewt K11 (1993–2003): first generation on the Nissan March, with saloon, hatchback and convertible bodies.
• Viewt K12 (2005–2010): second generation, plus the used-car 12SR and the Cute conversion.
• Viewt K13 (2012–2023): third generation in 12ST, 12ST Premium, 12LX and 12DX grades.
• Viewt Nadeshiko (2015–2023): cheaper, narrower front-wheel-drive hatchback using the March’s tail lights.
• Viewt Story (2023–): fourth generation on the Toyota Yaris, with petrol and hybrid power.

Mitsuoka also built the larger Galue saloon and the exotic Orochi. More cars are in the Mitsuoka collection.

Video: Mitsuoka Viewt

Video on YouTube.

Sources

• Mitsuoka Viewt, English Wikipedia: generations, engines, grades, production