The is a

kei car Kei car (or , kanji: , "light automobile", ), known variously outside Japan as Japanese city car or Japanese microcar, is the Japanese vehicle category for the smallest highway-legal passenger cars with restricted dimensions and engine capacit ...

manufactured by the Japanese automaker

Daihatsu , commonly known as Daihatsu, is a Japanese automobile manufacturer and one of the oldest surviving Japanese internal combustion engine manufacturers. The company's headquarters are located in Ikeda, Osaka Prefecture. Historically, Daihatsu was ...

. It was launched in December 2005, which at launch was the cheapest car in Japan. It was available as a 5-door

hatchback A hatchback is a car body configuration with a rear door that swings upward to provide access to a cargo area. Hatchbacks may feature fold-down second row seating, where the interior can be reconfigured to prioritize passenger or cargo volume. ...

in two distinct styles - Esse or Esse Custom. The Esse was available in Eco, D, L and X grade levels with front- or

four-wheel drive Four-wheel drive, also called 4×4 ("four by four") or 4WD, refers to a two-axled vehicle drivetrain capable of providing torque to all of its wheels simultaneously. It may be full-time or on-demand, and is typically linked via a transfer case ...

layout. The Esse Custom was added in November 2006. All versions were powered by a '' KF-VE'' three-cylinder

petrol Gasoline (; ) or petrol (; ) (see ) is a transparent, petroleum-derived flammable liquid that is used primarily as a fuel in most spark-ignited internal combustion engines (also known as petrol engines). It consists mostly of organic co ...

engine. The production ended in September 2011 and replaced by the Mira e:S. According to Daihatsu, the name "Esse" was derived from the Latin root for the English word "essence", although it has also been used as a backronym for "Eco, Smart, Simple & Easy" in marketing. File:Daihatsu-Esse-1st-rear.jpg, Rear view File:Esseinterior.jpg, Interior File:Osaka Auto Messe 2016 (163) - ESSE NOVA.jpg, ESSE NOVA

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Esse Esse may refer to: Places * Essé, a commune in the Ille-et-Vilaine department, Brittany, northwestern France * Esse, Charente, a commune in the Charente department, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, southwestern France * Esse, Cameroon, a town and commune ...

Cars introduced in 2005 2010s cars Kei cars Hatchbacks Front-wheel-drive vehicles All-wheel-drive vehicles {{modern-auto-stub