The Subaru Pleo was a kei car sold in Japan from 1998 to 2018. It was taller than an ordinary kei hatchback but shorter than a true microvan such as the Suzuki Wagon R, and it was offered with a wide range of 658 cc engines.
Subaru Pleo at a glance
| Maker | Subaru, Japan |
|---|---|
| Production | 1998–2018 |
| Class | kei car, tall wagon |
| First on sale | 9 October 1998 |
| Replaced | Subaru Vivio |
| Engine | 658 cc four-cylinder EN07 |
| Power | 46 PS naturally aspirated, 60 PS mildcharged, 64 PS supercharged |
| Drive | front-wheel drive or four-wheel drive |
| Retro version | Pleo Nesta, from June 1999 |
| Second generation | 2010, a rebadged Daihatsu Mira |
| Name meaning | Latin for “to fill” or “to fulfil” |
| Rivals | Honda Life, Daihatsu Move, Mitsubishi Toppo |
Based on one source, the English Wikipedia article on the Subaru Pleo.
History of the Subaru Pleo
The Pleo went on sale in Japan on 9 October 1998, replacing the Vivio, at a time when a change in the kei car tax rules forced every Japanese maker to redesign its small cars. The name comes from the Latin for “to fill” or “to fulfil”. It sat in the tall-wagon part of the kei class, competing with the Honda Life, Daihatsu Move and Mitsubishi Toppo.
Three versions of the 658 cc EN07 four-cylinder engine were offered: a naturally aspirated unit with 46 PS, a supercharged one with 64 PS and a “mildcharged” version with lower boost and 60 PS, intended to feel like a one-litre car. The original television advertisement, shown across Japan in late 1998, used a hip hop remix of “Un bel dì vedremo” from Puccini’s Madama Butterfly. The Vivio stayed on sale alongside the Pleo until the end of October 1998.
Nesta, Nicot and the special editions
In June 1999 Subaru added a retro-styled, better equipped version called the Nesta, with new front wings to take a chromed grille and twin round headlights and the full engine range. A sporty LS edition followed in October, an Le edition in December and a G Edition of the Nesta in May 2000. At the 1999 Tokyo Motor Show Subaru showed an LPG prototype, the Pleo Nicot, with a modernised version of the Nesta front; the production Nicot arrived in December 2000 with single round headlights, a small smile-shaped grille and the mildcharged engine only.
Facelifts came in October 2000, October 2001 and October 2002, and further editions followed: the L Plus Package and F Special in January 2002, three four-wheel-drive models in May 2002 to mark forty years of Subaru four-wheel drive, and the FS Limited, FS Special, L Special and Nesta GS Special in May 2003. After the R2 arrived on 8 December 2003 the two cars were sold side by side, and as of January 2004 the supercharged engines were dropped as the Pleo moved below Subaru’s newer kei models. The mildcharged option returned a year later and disappeared for good in June 2006, after the Stella was introduced. By June 2007 only the Van A model remained, and the first generation ended in December 2009.
Second generation
The second-generation Pleo went on sale on 20 April 2010. Because of Toyota’s investment in Subaru, it was built by Daihatsu and was a rebadged Daihatsu Mira rather than a Subaru design. It remained on sale until 2018.
Design and features
- Tall kei body: more space than a kei hatchback without microvan bulk.
- Three engine tunes: naturally aspirated, mildcharged and supercharged 658 cc units.
- Retro Nesta: round headlights and a chromed grille on a special edition.
- Pleo Nicot: a smile-faced version with the mildcharged engine only.
- Rebadged second generation: a Daihatsu Mira built for Subaru from 2010.
Subaru Pleo versions
- Pleo (1998): the original tall wagon.
- Pleo Nesta (1999): retro-styled edition with chrome grille and round lamps.
- Pleo LS and RS: sporty editions of the first generation.
- Pleo Nicot (2000): mildcharged edition with a smile-shaped grille.
- Pleo Van A: the commercial version that outlived the passenger range.
- Pleo (2010–2018): second generation, a rebadged Daihatsu Mira.
The Pleo replaced the Vivio and was sold alongside the R2. More Subarus are in the Subaru collection.
Sources
- Subaru Pleo, English Wikipedia: engines, editions, dates, generations
