The Nissan Otti is a kei car sold in Japan and supplied by Mitsubishi Motors. After Nissan agreed with Mitsubishi on 16 January 2005 to expand its OEM mini car range, it released the Otti on 17 June 2005. Apart from the front grille and body colours there are no major differences from the Mitsubishi eK Wagon and eK Sport on which it was based.
Nissan Otti at a glance
| Agreement | 16 January 2005, with Mitsubishi Motors |
|---|---|
| On sale | 17 June 2005 |
| Basis | Mitsubishi eK Wagon and eK Sport |
| Annual supply | 36,000 eK Wagons from 8 June 2005 |
| Engine | 3G83 three-cylinder, 50 PS naturally aspirated |
| Turbo | 64 PS |
| Gearboxes | three-speed automatic with column shift, later four-speed; five-speed manual on some |
| Drive | front- or four-wheel drive |
| Dealers | Nissan Red Stage and Nissan Blue Stage |
| Replaced by | Nissan Dayz, 6 June 2013 |
based on one source: the English Wikipedia article on the Mitsubishi eK, which describes the Otti as a rebadged version; no free photographs of the Otti itself were found.
History of the Nissan Otti
The Mitsubishi eK behind it
The Mitsubishi eK, whose name stands for “excellent keijidôsha” and is pronounced “ee kay”, was introduced on 11 October 2001 and built on the long-running Minica. The first generation came as the eK Wagon, eK Sport, eK Classy and eK Active. The eK Wagon had a simplified lineup, initially a single M model with an M+X package of alloy wheels and cosmetics, using the naturally aspirated 3G83 three-cylinder of 50 PS; turbocharged versions later offered 64 PS. The standard gearbox was a three-speed automatic with a column shift, with a four-speed later and a five-speed manual with a floor shifter on some models. Most could be ordered with front- or four-wheel drive. The car won the Good Design Award in 2001, sold 13,000 units in its first four days against a target of 10,000 a month, and reached about 480,000 sales by 2005.
The Nissan Otti
Nissan received 36,000 eK Wagons a year from Mitsubishi from 8 June 2005 and sold them in Japan as the Otti through Nissan Red Stage and Nissan Blue Stage dealers. The Otti differed only in the front grille design and body colours. The Otti was replaced by the Nissan Dayz on 6 June 2013, though it stayed on sale alongside the Dayz until being discontinued on 28 June 2013. Mitsubishi later built the taller eK Space with sliding rear doors in 2014, which Nissan sold as the Dayz Roox and, from 2020, as the Roox.
Design and features
- Mitsubishi engineering: the eK Wagon with a different grille and colours.
- 3G83 engine: a 50 PS three-cylinder, 64 PS with a turbo.
- Kei car rules: small size and engine for Japanese taxes.
- Short life: replaced by the Dayz in 2013.
Nissan Otti versions
- Nissan Otti (2005–2013): the rebadged eK Wagon and eK Sport.
- Nissan Dayz (2013–): the replacement.
- Nissan Dayz Roox and Roox: the later tall kei models from Mitsubishi.
The Otti was Nissan’s other rebadged kei car beside the Moco, and its role passed to the Clipper line for commercial kei vehicles. More cars are in the Nissan collection.
Video: Nissan Otti 2010 0.7
Video by YouTube on YouTube.
Sources
- Mitsubishi eK, English Wikipedia: eK engineering, Otti agreement, supply numbers, replacement
