Talk about youth and their talent! The initial idea of the concept car you see here came from a man by the name of Isa Nova and one of his associates at the Research & Development Division of PT Astra Daihatsu Motor (ADM) in January this year.
"After the design was finished, we proposed the design idea of a concept car named Ultra Functional Compact (UFC) to ADM's Board of Directors. After it was approved, the idea was then presented to the principal, DMC (Daihatsu Motor Co., Ltd). Only then a team of four was formed. Two from Indonesia and two from Japan," said Isa Nova at the presentation in front of the media at Daihatsu's booth at the 2012 IIMS.
The UFC concept car has a smaller size compared to the Daihatsu Xenia, but has a comfortable capacity and space flexibility. The considerations behind its dimensions are reportedly based on a research on Indonesian consumers' vehicle needs in the future, especially in the urban area, which is identical to traffic jams and narrow roads.
The access to the rear cabin is spacious, thanks to the removal of the C-pillars and the application of a sliding door. "Soon, if this concept car is mass-produced, we will certainly design it more carefully, so that even without the C-pillars, passenger safety inside the cabin is still at its best," said Isa Nova.
This concept car sits at 4,050mm x 1,695mm x 1,585mm (L x W x H) and has the same ground clearance as the Xenia at 190mm. This is for the UFC to neutralise the road conditions in Indonesia, which are identical to floods, uneven surface and speed bumps.
This concept car has a front engine layout, so too with its drive system. Another advantage is that the third row seats can be flat-folded to the floor to gain more luggage room.
When asked when the UFC will be available for mass production, Isa said, "To be honest, it's still a long way, but if the public's enthusiasm during the IIMS is high, it's entirely possible that ADM will start marketing it within the next three years. At an affordable price for the people of course."
