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184-609: The Suzuki Fronte ( Japanese : スズキ・フロンテ ) is an automobile introduced in March 1962 as a sedan version of the Suzulight Van. The nameplate remained in use for Suzuki's Kei car sedans as well as some commercial-use derivatives until it was replaced by the Alto (originally only used for commercial vehicles) in September 1988. The " fronte " nameplate alludes to the fact that the initial Fronte

368-423: A two-way catalyst and a secondary air supply device. The downside was that the new engine produced a mere 26 PS (19 kW) at 4500 rpm rather than the 32 PS (24 kW) of the 360 cc engine it replaced. The layout remained RR , with a four-speed manual transmission. "7-S" was meant to stand for S pace, S afety, S ense, S ave money, S ilent, S tamina, and S uzuki TC, not necessarily always in

552-420: A "4" logo in the grille. These were very weak sellers, offering much less torque and drivability than their two-cycle brethren. Torque was 3.9 kgm at 3500 rpm, versus 4.6 kgm in the smaller two-stroke engine. At about the same time, in an attempt at meeting the tighter 1978 (53年) emissions standards with a two-stroke, the new SS12 Fronte 7-S was presented. It had a now even cleaner T4A engine called

736-485: A 10 cm (3.9 in) increase in length and an increase in displacement to 660 cc. The Minica's engine was now 657 cc, while the front bumper gained 3 cm (1.2 in) and the rear bodywork was altered to grow by 7 cm (2.8 in). The wheelbase remained unchanged, while a black plastic element was added behind the rear windows to fill the extra space. Chassis codes changed to H22 and H27 . A tall three-door MPV model with optional four-wheel drive,

920-506: A Super Deluxe version of the light van was added, featuring a new plastic grille and more modern interior. At the same time, the pickup dropped the "360" model name and was from now on sold as the "Minica Pick" (ミニカピック, Minika Pikku ). By 1969, the new Minica Van had superseded the LT23 and it was no longer produced, although the LT25 pickup continued to be built until September 1972. These late models have

1104-513: A Van Custom was added, with four headlights and more extensive equipment. In late 1974 or early 1975 the Van was updated to accept new larger license plates that were now required. The Van continued with the two-stroke 2G10-5 engine until being replaced by the bigger-engined Minica 5 Van (A104V) in March 1976. Also in October 1972 the renamed Skipper IV (A102) received the new four-stroke 2G21 engine from

1288-624: A benefit from the in-group to the out-group) means "[I/we] explained [it] to [him/her/them]". Such beneficiary auxiliary verbs thus serve a function comparable to that of pronouns and prepositions in Indo-European languages to indicate the actor and the recipient of an action. Japanese "pronouns" also function differently from most modern Indo-European pronouns (and more like nouns) in that they can take modifiers as any other noun may. For instance, one does not say in English: The amazed he ran down

1472-573: A bottom to top back opening, the other being the 1941-42 Chrysler Town and Country (The Austin A40 Farina had a similar layout but was marketed as a sedan in that form). A more luxurious and powerful (30 PS or 22 kW, 110 km/h) Hi-Custom version was added two months later, but the entire Custom range was deleted in 1971. Also in 1971 the Fronte Van received a minor facelift (called "Fresh New Fronte Van" in period marketing material), including

1656-512: A brochure made of a US-market Fronte 360, complete with miles-per-hour speedo and uncovered sealed-beam headlights, but most likely none were brought over. The Fronte soon received a very minor update reflecting stricter safety laws; as of October 1968 it sported a driver's side integrated headrest, seat belts up front, and turn signal flashers on all four corners. In November 1968 came the Suzuki Fronte SS 360 with 36 PS (26 kW), with

1840-655: A commercial vehicle for tax purposes ), with a pickup version added in October, the Mitsubishi 360 was rather quaintly styled. Suicide doors and a swage line which continued across the hood were often accented by whitewall tires and lace curtains (both standard on the Light Van DeLuxe, introduced in April 1962) to complete the picture. The 360 and Minica were given a thorough facelift in November 1964, with an entirely new front clip with

2024-537: A commercial vehicle) looked very similar to the Ami L but featured a proper rear hatch and folding rear seat, allowing it to be registered as a light commercial vehicle like its competitors the Daihatsu Mira , Suzuki Alto and Subaru Rex . Cargo capacity, compared to the more workmanlike Minica 55 Van, was reduced from 300 to 200 kg (441 lb). A two-speed, semi-automatic gearbox was also available on all models, while

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2208-414: A distinct language of its own that has absorbed various aspects from neighboring languages. Japanese has five vowels, and vowel length is phonemic, with each having both a short and a long version. Elongated vowels are usually denoted with a line over the vowel (a macron ) in rōmaji , a repeated vowel character in hiragana , or a chōonpu succeeding the vowel in katakana . /u/ ( listen )

2392-404: A fairly simple and light car, the triple carburettors were awkwardly located at the front of the engine, behind the rear seat. To adjust them, a mechanic would have to reach through a small egg-shaped opening from the rear seat. Another complaint touched on the car's near absence of luggage space. The rear lights and the front indicators used the same lenses, only of different colours. There was even

2576-436: A fairly straightforward copy of the even older Lloyd LP400 , and as such had a transversely mounted two-cylinder, two-stroke engine driving the front wheels. Suspension was independent on all four wheels, with transverse double leafsprings on both axes. 2,565 were built in the first year. Power was 25 PS (18 kW) at 6000 rpm, from a unique engine (also called "TLA") with its cylinders cast separately rather than in

2760-529: A folding rear seat. Besides chassis and internals, the Skipper shared the front clip and lower door panels with the sedan. By September 1971, with the introduction of the Minica 72 , the sedan versions were no longer available with the powerful Gold engine. Changes were limited to a new honeycomb grille, taillights (incorporating amber turnsignals) and a new dash similar to that of the Skipper. The Sporty Deluxe version

2944-620: A four-cylinder double overhead cam five-valve-per-cylinder turbocharged engine, known as the "Mitsubishi Toppo BJ" was also introduced. Front-wheel-drive models carry the H42 chassis code, four-wheel-drives are H47 . This is followed by an "A" for passenger models and a "V" for commercials. This generation was exported in small numbers as the Mitsubishi Minica Towny, being sold in Singapore, Hong Kong, and some Caribbean markets. In January 1999,

3128-419: A glide /j/ and either the first part of a geminate consonant ( っ / ッ , represented as Q) or a moraic nasal in the coda ( ん / ン , represented as N). The nasal is sensitive to its phonetic environment and assimilates to the following phoneme, with pronunciations including [ɴ, m, n, ɲ, ŋ, ɰ̃] . Onset-glide clusters only occur at the start of syllables but clusters across syllables are allowed as long as

3312-500: A heater, via "B" and "D" to the range topping "T" version. Being more comfortable than the LS20 Van it replaced, the Hatch had headrests in both front seats and got the same dashboard as the "Sting Ray" Fronte (albeit only with two gauges). As for the earlier LS20 Fronte Van, the Hatch's spare tire was mounted in the engine compartment to allow for more cargo space in the rear. While marketed as

3496-505: A high-speed demonstration journey along Italy's 750 km (466 mi) Autostrada del Sole leading from Milan to Napoli. In the end, the average speed attained was 122.44 km/h (76.08 mph), respectable for a car with an engine smaller than those of most motorcycles. The original car currently resides in Suzuki's museum in Hamamatsu . In 1969 the "SS Standard" model also appeared, with

3680-565: A large marketing campaign, which included television commercials. First reaching dealerships on 27 May 1967, market response was immediate and strong. While the original target production was 3000 per month, this was soon nearly tripled. Monthly production remained above 8000 until the end of the LC10's life. A new, additional factory in Iwata was opened in August 1967 to add supplementary capacity. While in overall

3864-479: A listener depending on the listener's relative social position and the degree of familiarity between the speaker and the listener. When used in different social relationships, the same word may have positive (intimate or respectful) or negative (distant or disrespectful) connotations. Japanese often use titles of the person referred to where pronouns would be used in English. For example, when speaking to one's teacher, it

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4048-529: A more comfortable, while still folding, rear seat. There was also a folding luggage shelf in the trunk. Sops to safety, already somewhat better than the regular Fronte because of the engine location and the driver's seat being located farther back, included an anti-glare dashboard and a round horn pad in the steering wheel. In June 1970 the Estate model was succeeded by the Suzuki Fronte Custom . The Custom had

4232-399: A new long-stroke 471 cc engine, a small increase in length (entirely due to new, larger bumpers), and a new name, the Minica 5 . The Minica 5 was the first kei passenger car to meet the new regulations. Both models were also lightly facelifted, featuring new grilles, while equipment levels remained the same. While power output of the new Vulcan 2G22 did not change for the sedan (A104A),

4416-419: A pressed metal chrome grill. The more modern look was accompanied by the new, somewhat more powerful ME24 engine, affording a top speed of 85 km/h (53 mph). The four-seat version of the light van (LT21-4) could carry 200 kg (440 lb), while the strict two-seater (LT20) could take a full 300 kg (660 lb). The Pickup was rated for carrying 350 kg (770 lb). In August 1966,

4600-646: A rear hatch, a Kei class first. Two 359 cc 2G10 water-cooled two-stroke powerplants were optionally available (A101), either the Red 28 PS (21 kW) engine (Super Deluxe, Sporty Deluxe) or the Gold engine fitted with twin SU carburetors developing 38 PS (28 kW). The Gold engine, introduced in December 1969, was fitted as standard to the SS and GSS sport models introduced at

4784-574: A rear rigid axle with leaf springs and a wheelbase of 1,995 mm (78.5 in). Design was square in style, radically different from the Fronte sedan. To begin with, the rear opening was a single unit, hinged at the top. The engine was the air-cooled 356 cc LC10 two-cycle three-cylinder unit, here detuned to 25 hp (19 kW) for a top speed of 105 km/h. The Van (and its subsequent siblings) has MacPherson struts in front and semi-elliptic leaf springs in rear. Unusually for Japanese cars,

4968-408: A sentence need not be stated and pronouns may be omitted if they can be inferred from context. In the example above, hana ga nagai would mean "[their] noses are long", while nagai by itself would mean "[they] are long." A single verb can be a complete sentence: Yatta! ( やった! ) "[I / we / they / etc] did [it]!". In addition, since adjectives can form the predicate in a Japanese sentence (below),

5152-428: A single adjective can be a complete sentence: Urayamashii! ( 羨ましい! ) "[I'm] jealous [about it]!". While the language has some words that are typically translated as pronouns, these are not used as frequently as pronouns in some Indo-European languages, and function differently. In some cases, Japanese relies on special verb forms and auxiliary verbs to indicate the direction of benefit of an action: "down" to indicate

5336-477: A single block. Of 360 cc (64.0 × 56.0 mm) this method allowed for a lower production cost and better cooling, allowing Suzuki to price the TLA below the more spartan TL Van. As with the light commercials on which it was based, the transmission was a three-speed manual with an unsynchronized first gear and a column-mounted shifter. After only one year's production of the TLA, the new FEA engine appeared, featuring

5520-548: A slight facelift consisting of a new grille, redesigned cladding around the C-pillars, and a new dashboard. The SS20 is equipped with the T5A engine (first seen in the Jimny ), with 539 cc it offered 28 PS (21 kW) at 5000 rpm and 5.3 kgm at 3000 rpm, which helped bring top speed up from 105 to 110 km/h (65 to 68 mph). To use up leftover four-stroke engines,

5704-470: A somewhat baroque new grille and a new, horizontally divided two-piece tailgate. The twin round taillights were also replaced by rectangular units. This version also featured Suzuki's new self-lubricating "CCIS" system ( C ylinder C rank I njection and S elmix). In March 1972 the Fronte Van received the two-cylinder, two-stroke water-cooled 28 hp L50 engine also used in the Suzuki Carry , becoming

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5888-451: A somewhat bulkier rear end. The more squared-off front end also allowed for a larger front luggage area. The T4A engine was still a three-cylinder two-stroke (simply a bored out version of the LC10), as Suzuki considered themselves experts at this configuration. The new Suzuki TC ("Two Catalyst") emissions system meant that it provisionally met the new 1975 (50 年 ) emissions standards thanks to

6072-532: A somewhat longer and taller body. The somewhat boxy rear end, still with a clamshell rear window, looked a bit incongruous paired with the original Minica F4 front wings and doors. The new Minica was renamed the Minica Ami L (A107A), but bigger news was that the Minica 55 Van, based on the 1969 A100V, was finally retired. The new A107V Minica Econo ("Econo" hinting at its primary use as a private economy car rather than as

6256-755: A three-door van. With the 796 cc engine, the CN11S Fronte was built in China as the Anchi 6330. The CN11 was never exported to Europe, as they received the Cervo Mode (labelled as an Alto) instead. However, South Korea's Daewoo built the car under license as the Tico , and this model saw a great deal of sales particularly in Eastern Europe. Japanese language Japanese ( 日本語 , Nihongo , [ɲihoŋɡo] )

6440-552: A total of 22. The FEA-II also received a new front-end treatment, aping its bigger brother the Fronte 800 . Production was about 150 cars per month at this time, very low compared to the 2,000 or so Subaru 360 built monthly. In 1966 this became known as the "New FEA" after another slight facelift which included a new dashboard. By the end of its production run (1967), the Suzulight Fronte was beginning to look rather dated, especially at

6624-531: A very minor facelift meant the car was now called Minica 71 . Revised styling featured wider taillights and trim changes, and the water-cooled 2G10 engine was available in the lower priced Family Deluxe. The Minica Skipper (A101C) was introduced in May 1971 as a two-door coupé with liftable rear window, and a choice of Red or Gold 2G10 engines. The Skipper was available either as the S/L, L/L or GT. This also meant that

6808-675: Is compressed rather than protruded , or simply unrounded. Some Japanese consonants have several allophones , which may give the impression of a larger inventory of sounds. However, some of these allophones have since become phonemic. For example, in the Japanese language up to and including the first half of the 20th century, the phonemic sequence /ti/ was palatalized and realized phonetically as [tɕi] , approximately chi ( listen ) ; however, now [ti] and [tɕi] are distinct, as evidenced by words like tī [tiː] "Western-style tea" and chii [tɕii] "social status". The "r" of

6992-421: Is topic–comment . Sentence-final particles are used to add emotional or emphatic impact, or form questions. Nouns have no grammatical number or gender , and there are no articles . Verbs are conjugated , primarily for tense and voice , but not person . Japanese adjectives are also conjugated. Japanese has a complex system of honorifics , with verb forms and vocabulary to indicate the relative status of

7176-445: Is also seen in o-medetō "congratulations", from medetaku ). Late Middle Japanese has the first loanwords from European languages – now-common words borrowed into Japanese in this period include pan ("bread") and tabako ("tobacco", now "cigarette"), both from Portuguese . Modern Japanese is considered to begin with the Edo period (which spanned from 1603 to 1867). Since Old Japanese,

7360-519: Is also used in a limited fashion (such as for imported acronyms) in Japanese writing. The numeral system uses mostly Arabic numerals , but also traditional Chinese numerals . Proto-Japonic , the common ancestor of the Japanese and Ryukyuan languages , is thought to have been brought to Japan by settlers coming from the Korean peninsula sometime in the early- to mid-4th century BC (the Yayoi period ), replacing

7544-440: Is appropriate to use sensei ( 先生 , "teacher"), but inappropriate to use anata . This is because anata is used to refer to people of equal or lower status, and one's teacher has higher status. Japanese nouns have no grammatical number, gender or article aspect. The noun hon ( 本 ) may refer to a single book or several books; hito ( 人 ) can mean "person" or "people", and ki ( 木 ) can be "tree" or "trees". Where number

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7728-684: Is associated with comedy (see Kansai dialect ). Dialects of Tōhoku and North Kantō are associated with typical farmers. The Ryūkyūan languages, spoken in Okinawa and the Amami Islands (administratively part of Kagoshima ), are distinct enough to be considered a separate branch of the Japonic family; not only is each language unintelligible to Japanese speakers, but most are unintelligible to those who speak other Ryūkyūan languages. However, in contrast to linguists, many ordinary Japanese people tend to consider

7912-462: Is better documentation of Late Middle Japanese phonology than for previous forms (for instance, the Arte da Lingoa de Iapam ). Among other sound changes, the sequence /au/ merges to /ɔː/ , in contrast with /oː/ ; /p/ is reintroduced from Chinese; and /we/ merges with /je/ . Some forms rather more familiar to Modern Japanese speakers begin to appear – the continuative ending - te begins to reduce onto

8096-509: Is correlated with the sex of the speaker and the social situation in which they are spoken: men and women alike in a formal situation generally refer to themselves as watashi ( 私 , literally "private") or watakushi (also 私 , hyper-polite form), while men in rougher or intimate conversation are much more likely to use the word ore ( 俺 "oneself", "myself") or boku . Similarly, different words such as anata , kimi , and omae ( お前 , more formally 御前 "the one before me") may refer to

8280-417: Is important, it can be indicated by providing a quantity (often with a counter word ) or (rarely) by adding a suffix, or sometimes by duplication (e.g. 人人 , hitobito , usually written with an iteration mark as 人々 ). Words for people are usually understood as singular. Thus Tanaka-san usually means Mx Tanaka . Words that refer to people and animals can be made to indicate a group of individuals through

8464-722: Is less common. In terms of mutual intelligibility , a survey in 1967 found that the four most unintelligible dialects (excluding Ryūkyūan languages and Tōhoku dialects ) to students from Greater Tokyo were the Kiso dialect (in the deep mountains of Nagano Prefecture ), the Himi dialect (in Toyama Prefecture ), the Kagoshima dialect and the Maniwa dialect (in Okayama Prefecture ). The survey

8648-420: Is often called a topic-prominent language , which means it has a strong tendency to indicate the topic separately from the subject, and that the two do not always coincide. The sentence Zō wa hana ga nagai ( 象は鼻が長い ) literally means, "As for elephant(s), (the) nose(s) (is/are) long". The topic is zō "elephant", and the subject is hana "nose". Japanese grammar tends toward brevity; the subject or object of

8832-489: Is preserved in words such as matsuge ("eyelash", lit. "hair of the eye"); modern mieru ("to be visible") and kikoeru ("to be audible") retain a mediopassive suffix - yu(ru) ( kikoyu → kikoyuru (the attributive form, which slowly replaced the plain form starting in the late Heian period) → kikoeru (all verbs with the shimo-nidan conjugation pattern underwent this same shift in Early Modern Japanese )); and

9016-646: Is the principal language of the Japonic language family spoken by the Japanese people . It has around 123 million speakers, primarily in Japan , the only country where it is the national language , and within the Japanese diaspora worldwide. The Japonic family also includes the Ryukyuan languages and the variously classified Hachijō language . There have been many attempts to group the Japonic languages with other families such as

9200-402: Is the version of Japanese discussed in this article. Formerly, standard Japanese in writing ( 文語 , bungo , "literary language") was different from colloquial language ( 口語 , kōgo ) . The two systems have different rules of grammar and some variance in vocabulary. Bungo was the main method of writing Japanese until about 1900; since then kōgo gradually extended its influence and

9384-471: Is used for the present and the future. For verbs that represent an ongoing process, the -te iru form indicates a continuous (or progressive) aspect , similar to the suffix ing in English. For others that represent a change of state, the -te iru form indicates a perfect aspect. For example, kite iru means "They have come (and are still here)", but tabete iru means "They are eating". Questions (both with an interrogative pronoun and yes/no questions) have

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9568-405: Is why some linguists do not classify Japanese "pronouns" as pronouns, but rather as referential nouns, much like Spanish usted (contracted from vuestra merced , "your ( majestic plural ) grace") or Portuguese você (from vossa mercê ). Japanese personal pronouns are generally used only in situations requiring special emphasis as to who is doing what to whom. The choice of words used as pronouns

9752-558: The Minica Toppo , was also introduced in February 1990 - the Toppo, being developed before the new regulations were finalized, did not take full advantage of them and ended up 4 cm (1.6 in) shorter than other kei cars. The Dangan Turbo only received its increase in displacement and increase in length in August 1990, six months after the rest of the range had been updated. In January 1992

9936-603: The Ainu , Austronesian , Koreanic , and the now-discredited Altaic , but none of these proposals have gained any widespread acceptance. Little is known of the language's prehistory, or when it first appeared in Japan. Chinese documents from the 3rd century AD recorded a few Japanese words, but substantial Old Japanese texts did not appear until the 8th century. From the Heian period (794–1185), extensive waves of Sino-Japanese vocabulary entered

10120-606: The Ford Anglia ) and an overall rakish profile. This earlier stillborn project, called the "Suzulight Sports 360", was a reaction to the success of the rear-engined Subaru 360 and had a unique 360 cc two-cylinder engine. Even earlier (1960), there was an open two-seater prototype called the FA, with the same engine and layout as used in the FC. Suzuki's new test track in Ryūyō was put to intense use for

10304-455: The Japonic language family, which also includes the Ryukyuan languages spoken in the Ryukyu Islands . As these closely related languages are commonly treated as dialects of the same language, Japanese is sometimes called a language isolate . According to Martine Irma Robbeets , Japanese has been subject to more attempts to show its relation to other languages than any other language in

10488-653: The Kei car engine size limit to 550 cc, to make room for cleaner four-stroke engines and to reverse the slowing Kei car sales curve. Many manufacturers responded with interim, 500 cc models in 1976, Suzuki among them. In June 1976 the Fronte 7-S was presented, model code SS10 . As per the new regulations, it was 100 mm (3.9 in) wider than the LC20 series and had a larger engine of 443 cc. Wheelbase remained at 2,030 mm (79.9 in), while overall length grew to 3,190 mm (125.6 in) thanks to new bigger bumpers and

10672-490: The LA series was discontinued. The second-generation Minica 70 was introduced in July 1969 with a three-door hatchback body called a "sedan" by Mitsubishi. Alone in the kei car class, the traditional, front engine, rear-wheel drive layout was retained. The chassis has coil springs front and rear, MacPherson struts up front, and a five-link rigid rear axle. The new styling featured

10856-475: The LS20 in the process. A new grille gave away the changes underneath the skin, as did prominent "Water Cooled" badges on the rear. Aside from the engine, the most important change was that the rear lid was now once again a top-hinged single-piece unit. As before, Standard, DeLuxe, and Super DeLuxe versions were available. The Fronte Van was replaced in April 1973 by the strange-looking Fronte Hatch . Just under 28,000 of

11040-524: The Mitsubishi Minicab cab-over pickup truck was launched to complement the Mitsubishi 360 light truck. Powered by the same air-cooled two-stroke 359 cc engine as the Minica, it came with cargo gates on three sides to simplify loading and unloading. In December, the 360 received a less ornate grille. In May 1967, the 360 and Minica were both updated with the new 21 PS ME24D , increasing top speed to 90 km/h (56 mph). In September 1968

11224-504: The Philippines , and various Pacific islands, locals in those countries learned Japanese as the language of the empire. As a result, many elderly people in these countries can still speak Japanese. Japanese emigrant communities (the largest of which are to be found in Brazil , with 1.4 million to 1.5 million Japanese immigrants and descendants, according to Brazilian IBGE data, more than

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11408-716: The United States (notably in Hawaii , where 16.7% of the population has Japanese ancestry, and California ), and the Philippines (particularly in Davao Region and the Province of Laguna ). Japanese has no official status in Japan, but is the de facto national language of the country. There is a form of the language considered standard : hyōjungo ( 標準語 ) , meaning "standard Japanese", or kyōtsūgo ( 共通語 ) , "common language", or even "Tokyo dialect" at times. The meanings of

11592-649: The de facto standard Japanese had been the Kansai dialect , especially that of Kyoto . However, during the Edo period, Edo (now Tokyo) developed into the largest city in Japan, and the Edo-area dialect became standard Japanese. Since the end of Japan's self-imposed isolation in 1853, the flow of loanwords from European languages has increased significantly. The period since 1945 has seen many words borrowed from other languages—such as German, Portuguese and English. Many English loan words especially relate to technology—for example, pasokon (short for "personal computer"), intānetto ("internet"), and kamera ("camera"). Due to

11776-423: The lean burn MCA-Jet emissions control system with a hemispherical head , aluminium rocker arms and three valves per cylinder, but power outputs remained static. The model code became A106, with A106V used for the van which continued to use the bodywork of the second generation. In September 1981 the car received another redesign. An entire new rear end meant a slightly longer wheelbase (up to 2,050 mm) and

11960-428: The "LS30", the Hatch's chassis code remained LS20 as for its predecessor. To set it apart, chassis numbers skipped ahead to LS20-200001. By December 1974 the car lost the "Fronte" badging, but retained the Fronte name in marketing material. Also in 1974 (May), the emissions became cleaner to match the 50年 (1975) emissions rules, but power was down to 26 PS. The basic "E" version was dropped. The first cosmetic change

12144-423: The "Skipper" nameplate in 1996 on a special, "town" version of the Pajero Mini . The Minica Van, based on the 1969 Minica 70, was kept in production until eventually replaced by the Minica Econo in 1981. The Van's history begins with the air-cooled A100V, which was replaced by the water-cooled A101V in late 1972. There was no A102 nor A103 Van (numbers retained for the water-cooled and four-stroke derivatives), as

12328-421: The 1.2 million of the United States ) sometimes employ Japanese as their primary language. Approximately 12% of Hawaii residents speak Japanese, with an estimated 12.6% of the population of Japanese ancestry in 2008. Japanese emigrants can also be found in Peru , Argentina , Australia (especially in the eastern states), Canada (especially in Vancouver , where 1.4% of the population has Japanese ancestry),

12512-406: The 1978 emissions regulations with the two-stroke engine compelled them to write a contract with Toyota to purchase engines from their subsidiary Daihatsu , Suzuki's main competitor. Beginning in May 1977 Daihatsu's catalysed 28 PS (21 kW) four-stroke AB10 engine was installed in the SS11 , selling in parallel with the two-stroke at a slightly higher (by ¥18,000) price. Four-strokes had

12696-439: The 360 series Hatch underwent was a modification of the trunklid to accept the larger license plates (330 × 165 mm) legislated for January 1, 1975. In export markets, the vehicle was also available with rear side window panels. For the 1976 model year another horsepower was lost, as emissions rules were gradually tightened, and the Hatch received a new grille, the taillights were held in place by two rather than three screws, and

12880-424: The 360 van and pickup continued alongside the Minica, sharing its development. The Mitsubishi 360/Minica competed with the established Subaru 360 , Daihatsu Fellow Max , and the Suzuki Fronte in the late sixties. The somewhat unexpected success of the 360/Minica led Mitsubishi to end production of three-wheeled vehicles. Originally available as a panel van or light van (really a Station Wagon , but registered as

13064-407: The 37 hp GT engine was downgraded to 35 PS, while the 34 PS version was replaced by a 32 PS unit. The lowest powered 32 and 34 PS models had single Solex carburetors rather than the triple units used on more powerful models. Later on, the range was rationalized and the models renamed Standard, Deluxe, and Custom. The LC20 was taken out of production at the end of May 1976, although

13248-509: The A101V remained available only with the air-cooled "Red" two-stroke engine until the introduction of the larger displacement, four-stroke Minica 5 Van (A104V) in March 1976. This was soon followed by the bigger engined "Minica 55 Van" (A105V), which has the newer 2G23 engine with 29 PS (21 kW) at 5500 rpm. The 55 Van was available in a few different equipment levels, from the Standard at

13432-542: The A105A. Its sibling, the Minica 55 Van (A105V) was updated in March 1977 and was almost impossible to distinguish from the previous Minica 5 Van, aside from badging and a slightly less plasticky front end. The bigger engine provided some useful additional torque, but the sporting Minicas of the early seventies were now a memory. The traditional (and unusual amongst Kei cars) Panhard layout remained. September 1978 brought another engine upgrade: The new "Vulcan II" G23B featured

13616-626: The Alto, reflecting its intended usage. Top speed was 120 km/h (75 mph), 2 more km/h than the Alto. In July 1986 the CB71 became the CB72 after a rather thorough facelift. The headlights were new, of the wraparound sort and the interior was changed with a new dashboard, but the main changes were under the skin: the old rear suspension was replaced with Suzuki's patented ITL suspension ( I solated T railing L ink). This three-link rigid setup considerably improved

13800-491: The C-pillar logo was altered. A more luxurious "Custom" model was also brought out for 1976. This had more comfortable (softer) suspension, lowering cargo capacity from 300 to 200 kg (660 to 440 lb). Production ended in May 1976. Reflecting new Kei car rules, in July 1976 the length of the Hatch was extended to 3190 mm (wheelbase to 2100 mm), all ahead of the firewall. The new front and new large bumpers made what

13984-593: The Fronte (539 cc, three cylinders, 28 PS (21 kW) T5B ) while the SS40S received a newly developed, 543 cc four-stroke three-cylinder engine, the F5A . This developed 31 PS (23 kW) and proved very popular, soon displacing the two-stroke entirely. The T5B would no longer be available in the Fronte after May 1981. The Alto light commercials received the SS30 V /SS40 V designation, and considerably lower gearing since it

14168-529: The Fronte Coupé GXCF. In September 1971 the seminal, Giugiaro -designed Fronte Coupé arrived, the predecessor to the well known Cervo range. Giugiaro's original concept was a revised version of the one-box design he had already used for the "Rowan Elettrica" city car of 1967. Suzuki then modified the design considerably, changing the proportions and adding ornamentation. Based on the Stingray "LC10 II" model,

14352-518: The Fronte Coupé was only ever offered with the water-cooled, rear-mounted LC10W engine. While initially only available as a two-seater, these were gradually replaced by four-seater versions. At first only two versions were available, the regular GE and the luxurious GX (or GER/GXR for models fitted with radial tires), both with a 37 PS (27 kW) version of the LC10W. Model changes: The Fronte Coupé

14536-458: The GSS sedan was gradually becoming obsolete, as the focus of the sportier Minicas shifted to the coupé versions. Styling wise, the Skipper represented a miniature version of the seminal hardtop Mitsubishi Galant GTO . To allow for a combination of fastback styling with rearward visibility, the rearmost panel featured a small window. The top rear window opened for access to the luggage area, which featured

14720-482: The Japanese language is of particular interest, ranging between an apical central tap and a lateral approximant . The "g" is also notable; unless it starts a sentence, it may be pronounced [ ŋ ] , in the Kanto prestige dialect and in other eastern dialects. The phonotactics of Japanese are relatively simple. The syllable structure is (C)(G)V(C), that is, a core vowel surrounded by an optional onset consonant,

14904-428: The Japanese market model, producing 28 PS (21 kW) at 4500 rpm. It was available as the two-door FC (Custom) and the four-door GL (Deluxe). In May 1979 the Fronte 7-S was replaced by the new SS30/SS40 Fronte. The Fronte Hatch 55 was also discontinued, from now on the commercial versions all used the Alto name. Alto also came to be the name used in export markets. SS30S was the two-stroke engined version of

15088-452: The LC20's curvy design with square blocks of plastic, without much success. Production ended in April 1979, as Suzuki was getting ready to introduce their new generation of front-wheel drive kei cars. In the few export markets where it was available, the Fronte 7‑S was simply sold as the "Suzuki SS10" and "SS20", foregoing the Fronte name. It was also built with left-hand-drive. The SS10 received an engine less burdened by emissions equipment than

15272-444: The LS20 Van were built in the thirteen months it was in production. In November 1970, the third generation Suzuki Fronte 71 (LC10 II) two-door sedan was introduced. Its aggressive design was commonly referred to as the "Sting Ray Look". The rear-engined chassis design and engine remained the same as its predecessor the LC10, although with a slightly longer 2,010 millimetres (79.1 in) wheelbase. Other minor chassis differences were

15456-571: The Minica Econo in 1981. In October 1970 the ME24F Yellow engine gained four horsepower for a total of 30 PS (22 kW) (the Van did not receive this upgrade) while the Red engine went up to 34 PS (25 kW). The GSS version gained integrated foglights and four round headlight, while the SS was discontinued at the same time. A luxurious GL version was also introduced for 1971, featuring high-back bucket seats in front. In February 1971

15640-510: The Minica F4, with either 32 or 36 PS. A new F/L replaced the S/L in the lineup. Along with some safety improvements in October 1973 both engines were replaced by the 30 PS (22 kW) "Vulcan S" engine, as the Skipper IV lineup was further narrowed. The coupé continued in production until July (or perhaps December) 1974, and was more restricted by emissions regulations. Mitsubishi revived

15824-541: The Minica was sold with the new "MMC" logo rather than the old "three diamonds". In March 1983 the Minica Ami L Turbo became the first kei car to be offered with a turbocharger , offering 39 PS (29 kW) and glitzy graphics. This proved short-lived, as by January 1984 production of the A107 Minicas had ended, with Mitsubishi preparing for the release of an all new, front-wheel drive Minica. The fifth-generation Minica

16008-470: The Minica was the Mitsubishi 360 , a series of light trucks introduced in April 1961. Designed for the lowest kei car vehicle tax classification, it was powered by an air-cooled 359 cc, 17 PS (13 kW) engine, providing a lowly 80 km/h (50 mph) top speed but with a fully syncromeshed four-speed transmission. After the successful 1962 introduction of the passenger car version, called Minica,

16192-724: The Old Japanese sections are written in Man'yōgana , which uses kanji for their phonetic as well as semantic values. Based on the Man'yōgana system, Old Japanese can be reconstructed as having 88 distinct morae . Texts written with Man'yōgana use two different sets of kanji for each of the morae now pronounced き (ki), ひ (hi), み (mi), け (ke), へ (he), め (me), こ (ko), そ (so), と (to), の (no), も (mo), よ (yo) and ろ (ro). (The Kojiki has 88, but all later texts have 87. The distinction between mo 1 and mo 2 apparently

16376-488: The Ryūkyūan languages as dialects of Japanese. The imperial court also seems to have spoken an unusual variant of the Japanese of the time, most likely the spoken form of Classical Japanese , a writing style that was prevalent during the Heian period , but began to decline during the late Meiji period . The Ryūkyūan languages are classified by UNESCO as 'endangered', as young people mostly use Japanese and cannot understand

16560-659: The SELMIX automatic lubrication system, improved fuel economy and eliminated the need for pre-mixed petrol for the two-stroke engine. Power was down somewhat, to 21 PS (15 kW). This was counteracted by the installation of a new, all-synchronized four-speed gearbox. In May 1963, two of the recently introduced FE-powered Suzuki Frontes came in first and second in their class at the inaugural Japanese Grand Prix (Class C1, for engines with less than 400 cc), with an average speed of 89.763 km/h (55.776 mph). Two more Frontes came in fourth and eighth places. The winning driver

16744-410: The SS equipment but with the more economical 25 PS engine. Another facelift took place in April 1970, when the grille became more ornate and the sporting version was rebaptized "SSS". Marketing materials referred to this version as the "New Fronte". Two new engines of 31 and 34 PS (23 and 25 kW) were installed, while the original 25 PS version was discontinued. The more powerful version

16928-573: The SS11 received the same facelift, becoming the SS11-2 . The SS11-2 was fairly short-lived, though, as the new T5A engine met the emissions regulations on its own and Suzuki was now able to terminate their contract with Toyota. The torque gap between the four- and the two-stroke models was widened further: while the SS11 could climb a slope of 0.34 tanα (18.8˚) the SS20 could manage 0.52 tanα (27.5˚). The production run of

17112-504: The SS20 was not very long either, coming to an end after just over a year and a half. The Fronte 7-S was never a big seller, as it was an old design and two-stroke engines were beginning to lose favor with Japanese car buyers. The SS10 and SS20 Frontes were both clearly based on the old LC20 , making do with a widened LC20 chassis and using its doors and many interior parts. For the SS20 Suzuki resorted to increasingly awkward efforts to hide

17296-606: The SS80F chassis code, while three-door passenger versions were called SS80G. Other markets, such as Chile, received the SS80 with "Fronte 800" badging, echoing the 1960s car with the same name . In October 1982 the Fronte/Alto received a minor facelift, and now featured square headlamps. In May 1983, the Fronte's engine was mildly updated, while on the outside there was a new grille and door mirrors rather than fender-mounted ones. The valve timing

17480-527: The TC53. "TC53" stood for T win C atalyst, year 53 of the Showa era (1978 in the common era). This new, cleaner engine lost further power and torque though, now down to 25 PS (18 kW), and still barely met the official emissions standards. A mere 6,421 SS12s were built, compared to 66,540 SS10 Frontes. The interim SS12 was replaced by the "full scale" 550 cc SS20 version presented on 27 October 1977, with

17664-502: The Towny was also locally manufactured by CMC in Taiwan, only as a five-door. In 1987 a three-cylinder 796 cc engine with 45 PS (33 kW) and a five-speed gearbox replaced the earlier drivetrain; a three-door panel van was also marketed abroad. In January 1989 the sixth-generation Minica (H21/H26 for front- and four-wheel-drive models respectively) was officially introduced, although

17848-543: The addition of a collective suffix (a noun suffix that indicates a group), such as -tachi , but this is not a true plural: the meaning is closer to the English phrase "and company". A group described as Tanaka-san-tachi may include people not named Tanaka. Some Japanese nouns are effectively plural, such as hitobito "people" and wareware "we/us", while the word tomodachi "friend" is considered singular, although plural in form. Verbs are conjugated to show tenses, of which there are two: past and present (or non-past) which

18032-454: The addition of a front anti-roll bar and the change to a semi-trailing arm rear suspension layout. There were 31, 34 or 36 hp versions available, the lineup being topped by the S, SS, SSS and SSS-R (the letter "R" merely indicating the fitment of radial tires) versions. As of May 1971 a water-cooled version, the LC10W, became available in either GL-W (34 hp) or 37 hp GT-W/GTR-W ("R" again meaning radial tires) versions. The success of

18216-512: The air-cooled ME24E engine with 26 PS (19 kW), although the claimed top speed remained 90 km/h (56 mph). It also has the same blacked-out plastic grille as fitted to the Super Deluxe and late first-generation Minicas. The first Minica (LA20) was first introduced in October 1962 as a two-door sedan based on the Mitsubishi 360 light truck, sharing its front-mounted ME21 359 cc twin-cylinder air-cooled engine driving

18400-572: The best selling kei passenger car into 1984. From 1984 until replaced in 1986, the four-door SS80 Fronte was built in India by Maruti as the " 800 ". Cooper Motor Corporation (CMC) of Nairobi , Kenya, also assembled the four-door SS80 in the eighties. In Pakistan the four-door version was available with the F8B engine (800 cc, 40 hp), and was sold as the Suzuki FX 800. The FX was sold from 1983 to 1988 when it

18584-536: The bottom to the Super Deluxe on top. The third-generation Minica was introduced as the Minica F4 (A103A) in October 1972 with a 359 cc OHC engine in the same layout, but featuring a liftable clam-shell rear window as on the coupé. The Skipper continued in production, as of October 1973 with the new engine (becoming the Minica Skipper IV). The new four-stroke Vulcan 2G21 MCA engine (Mitsubishi Clean Air)

18768-508: The change to a single strut for the rear gate for increased access. Power remained 25 PS as for late model 360 Hatches, but torque was up considerably. The lineup was again restricted to B, D, and T models, with the T receiving chromed rather than painted bumpers. For 1979 the models were renamed Standard, Deluxe, and Super Deluxe. The Hatch was succeeded in May 1979 by the SS30 Alto . Government plans had been made to gradually increase

18952-403: The cheaper versions featuring a new grille. The sporty versions were discontinued, as the twin-carb engine fell foul of new emissions regulations. The modified Vulcan S engine came equipped with a balance shaft (later baptised "Silent Shaft") and was cleaner yet, hence the "MCA-II" tag. Power, however, was down to 30 PS. Top speed was 115 km/h (71 mph). In December 1974, the lineup

19136-568: The development program, while tropical and cold weather testing was carried out in Thailand and on Hokkaido respectively. In the Japanese domestic market, the Fronte competed directly with the Mitsubishi Minica , Honda N360 , Daihatsu Fellow , and the Subaru 360 . Its overall shape is of a roundish profile, soon nicknamed "Daruma" for a Japanese roly-poly doll - this is the smallest (and arguably

19320-504: The doors and basic layout would continue in use for the succeeding SS10 (Fronte 7-S) series. The LC20 also entered both in CBU and CKD in indonesia, at first it entered as CBU units in 1974 under PT. Indonesia motor Company and then in 1976 the production of CKD units began with Suzuki's local partner PT Indomobil Group. It, along with the ST10 Carry , was the first four-wheeled Suzuki built there. It

19504-505: The edge of the roof, also helped sales. Apart from the very cheapest variants, the Fronte got front disc brakes and 12 inch radial tyres. The Fronte also received the 547 cc 12-valve SOHC F5B engine from the Suzuki Cervo , developing 40 hp (30 kW) at a lively 7500 rpm. There was no three-door version this time, but a 4WD variant (CP11) was available. And then, only six months later, Suzuki's longest running nameplate

19688-564: The effect of changing Japanese into a mora-timed language. Late Middle Japanese covers the years from 1185 to 1600, and is normally divided into two sections, roughly equivalent to the Kamakura period and the Muromachi period , respectively. The later forms of Late Middle Japanese are the first to be described by non-native sources, in this case the Jesuit and Franciscan missionaries; and thus there

19872-421: The engine code remained LC10W - with the "W" denoting water-cooling. The radiator is mounted up front. The bumpers were very small, no more than trim pieces. A strange and sour-looking front gave way to an ovoid rear end, culminating in an engine cover perforated by at least 50 vent openings. On the rear fenders two louvered vents allow air to the engine compartment; the right-hand one also opens to allow access to

20056-520: The engine, wheelbase, and suspension remained unchanged. In addition to the three-door vans (hatchbacks presumably intended for commercial use) and five-door "sedans" (hatchbacks for private use), a variant with a single door on the right side, two doors on the passenger side, and a liftgate was introduced, named the Minica Lettuce . This was originally a van with a foldable rear seat and flat loading floor, to meet special tax breaks available. In May 1989

20240-455: The flow of loanwords from European languages increased significantly, and words from English roots have proliferated. Japanese is an agglutinative , mora -timed language with relatively simple phonotactics , a pure vowel system, phonemic vowel and consonant length, and a lexically significant pitch-accent . Word order is normally subject–object–verb with particles marking the grammatical function of words, and sentence structure

20424-456: The fuel filler. Finally, a frameless opening rear glass provides a measure of hatchback practicality. A big first for Suzuki was the availability of a four-door version, lagging behind competing offerings from Daihatsu , Subaru , and Honda . Between the two engines, two bodystyles and several different equipment levels, a confusingly large lineup was on offer: two-door GU, GD, GH, GC, GT, GT type II, and four-door FU, FD, FH, FC, FT. In July 1974

20608-609: The genitive particle ga remains in intentionally archaic speech. Early Middle Japanese is the Japanese of the Heian period , from 794 to 1185. It formed the basis for the literary standard of Classical Japanese , which remained in common use until the early 20th century. During this time, Japanese underwent numerous phonological developments, in many cases instigated by an influx of Chinese loanwords . These included phonemic length distinction for both consonants and vowels , palatal consonants (e.g. kya ) and labial consonant clusters (e.g. kwa ), and closed syllables . This had

20792-478: The language, affecting the phonology of Early Middle Japanese . Late Middle Japanese (1185–1600) saw extensive grammatical changes and the first appearance of European loanwords . The basis of the standard dialect moved from the Kansai region to the Edo region (modern Tokyo ) in the Early Modern Japanese period (early 17th century–mid 19th century). Following the end of Japan's self-imposed isolation in 1853,

20976-453: The languages of the original Jōmon inhabitants, including the ancestor of the modern Ainu language . Because writing had yet to be introduced from China, there is no direct evidence, and anything that can be discerned about this period must be based on internal reconstruction from Old Japanese , or comparison with the Ryukyuan languages and Japanese dialects . The Chinese writing system

21160-449: The languages. Okinawan Japanese is a variant of Standard Japanese influenced by the Ryūkyūan languages, and is the primary dialect spoken among young people in the Ryukyu Islands . Modern Japanese has become prevalent nationwide (including the Ryūkyū islands) due to education , mass media , and an increase in mobility within Japan, as well as economic integration. Japanese is a member of

21344-427: The large quantity of English loanwords, modern Japanese has developed a distinction between [tɕi] and [ti] , and [dʑi] and [di] , with the latter in each pair only found in loanwords. Although Japanese is spoken almost exclusively in Japan, it has also been spoken outside of the country. Before and during World War II , through Japanese annexation of Taiwan and Korea , as well as partial occupation of China ,

21528-652: The market. In March 1972, water-cooled GD-W (deLuxe) and GU-W (standard) were added. In export markets, there was the Suzuki Fronte 500 with the 475 cc LC50 engine, also marketed as the Suzuki LC50 (29 PS, 115 km/h). In October 1972 the Fronte 72 was replaced by the "New Fronte" (with a new fascia and bonnet). By this time, only the Standard model ("U") retained the air-cooled engine, with an available automatic clutch. The top-of-the-line "GT-W Type II" came equipped with front disc brakes, as does its sister model

21712-587: The market. Sales of the Econo doubled. In September 1985 a four-wheel drive model with a live rear axle was introduced. In January 1988, as the bubble economy and the kei-class horsepower war were both heating up, an aero-kit version of the Turbo was introduced to compete with Suzuki's Alto Works and Daihatsu's Mira Turbo TR-XX . Called the Turbo ZEO it was equipped with the same 50 PS (37 kW) carburetted engine as

21896-419: The need for premixing oil and gasoline. In December 1966, along with a slightly different grille and new badging, a basic "Standard" Minica sedan was added, while the regular version was promoted to "Deluxe". Prices were ¥340,000 and ¥368,000 respectively. In May 1967, the Minica was given another minor update, with a modified dashboard and a padded center to steering wheel. The engine was also upgraded, with

22080-474: The new reed valve ME24D providing a useful 21 PS. In September of the following year, a Super Deluxe grade was added, using the new 23 PS (17 kW) water-cooled 2G10 engine developed for the next-generation Minica. This (the LA23) also featured a full vinyl interior and a new plastic grille (as on the Mitsubishi 360 van pictured above). With the July 1969 introduction of the second-generation Minica,

22264-460: The only Kei Jidosha ) car to use the " coke bottle styling " which became popular in the United States for the 1965 model year. The wheelbase was 1,960 mm (77.2 in), the suspension independent with coil springs and the engine was an all new 356 cc three-cylinder air-cooled two-cycle unit which was also called the LC10 . The transmission was a four-speed manual, originally with synchromesh on

22448-425: The only strict rule of word order is that the verb must be placed at the end of a sentence (possibly followed by sentence-end particles). This is because Japanese sentence elements are marked with particles that identify their grammatical functions. The basic sentence structure is topic–comment . For example, Kochira wa Tanaka-san desu ( こちらは田中さんです ). kochira ("this") is the topic of the sentence, indicated by

22632-470: The out-group gives a benefit to the in-group, and "up" to indicate the in-group gives a benefit to the out-group. Here, the in-group includes the speaker and the out-group does not, and their boundary depends on context. For example, oshiete moratta ( 教えてもらった ) (literally, "explaining got" with a benefit from the out-group to the in-group) means "[he/she/they] explained [it] to [me/us]". Similarly, oshiete ageta ( 教えてあげた ) (literally, "explaining gave" with

22816-415: The particle wa . The verb desu is a copula , commonly translated as "to be" or "it is" (though there are other verbs that can be translated as "to be"), though technically it holds no meaning and is used to give a sentence 'politeness'. As a phrase, Tanaka-san desu is the comment. This sentence literally translates to "As for this person, (it) is Mx Tanaka." Thus Japanese, like many other Asian languages,

23000-537: The passenger models. In August 1989, however, a new commercial use model appeared in the form of the Minica Walk-Through Van. This version took full advantage of the maximum 2-metre height limitation on kei cars at 1,990 mm (78 in). A response to the Daihatsu Mira walk-through van, the Minica was a hastier, cut-and-shut job and did not sell well enough to be continued for the next generation. The Kei car standards were altered for 1990, allowing for

23184-598: The powerful engine but with a minimum of trim, specifically intended for competition purposes. There was also an export version introduced in January 1969, the Suzuki Fronte 500 with the engine enlarged to 475 cc. This was only built in De Luxe trim. The 500 produces 29 PS (21 kW) at 6000 rpm, four more than does the original 360 export version. In May 1969 the Fronte received its first real facelift. The dashboard

23368-477: The proposed larger Altaic family, or to various Southeast Asian languages , especially Austronesian . None of these proposals have gained wide acceptance (and the Altaic family itself is now considered controversial). As it stands, only the link to Ryukyuan has wide support. Other theories view the Japanese language as an early creole language formed through inputs from at least two distinct language groups, or as

23552-650: The range received a light facelift, along with some new models. New were the Piace and Milano sedans, celebrating the thirtieth anniversary of the Minica, and the Dangan ZZ-Limited which received standard ABS brakes . In January 1993, shortly before the line was replaced, the Milano Limited and Milano four-wheel-drive models were added. Export versions were still usually carrying the "Towny" label and featured an 800 cc 41 PS (30 kW) engine. In September 1993,

23736-401: The rear bodywork of the original Minica Toppo, combined with the new front-end design. A version of the Toppo with two doors on the passenger side, similar to the "Lettuce", was made available, along with a limited edition RV version. In January 1997, versions of the Minica and Toppo with retro -styled front ends were introduced as the "Town Bee" model. The enlarged eighth-generation Minica

23920-417: The rear end, and the chassis was positively archaic. The Suzuki Fronte 360 two-door sedan (chassis code LC10) was introduced in March 1967 to replace the earlier Suzulight Fronte. The "Y-16", as the project had been known, had a rear engine and ten inch wheels for maximum packaging. The car sprang from the 1961 "FC" project, also with a rear-engine but with rear-hinged doors, a reverse-angle rear window (à la

24104-414: The rear wheels, transverse leaf springs in front and beam axle / leaf springs at the rear. Top speed was marginally higher at 86 km/h (53 mph). Initially featuring tailfins and a scalloped rear windshield, in November 1964 the Minica (and 360) received a facelift and the improved ME24 engine (LA21). Power output was up by one, to 18 PS (13 kW), with the new "Auto Mix" system removing

24288-511: The regular Turbo model; sales were low. There was also a low-priced, well-equipped version of the Minica Econo called the Tico, as well as a new top-of-the-line five-door sedan called the Minica Exceed. This generation was the first to reach export markets, usually labelled Mitsubishi Towny, originally with a two-cylinder 783 cc engine and a four-speed manual transmission. Beginning in March 1985,

24472-400: The retrostyled Town Bee version of this generation of Minica and the "Mitsubishi Toppo BJ Wide" were introduced. In October 1999, a 659 cc four-cylinder single overhead cam four-valve-per-cylinder turbocharged engine was introduced, and in December 1999, a limited edition of 50 " Mitsubishi Pistachios " with a 1094 cc double overhead cam four-valve-per-cylinder direct-injection engine

24656-476: The ride. By February 1987, the Fronte became available as a three-door, with the FS Twin Cam 12 version with a 40 PS (29 kW) at 7500 rpm, DOHC 12-valve F5A engine ( FR in the five-door version). The engine had two horsepower more in the Alto; this is due to less stringent emissions standards for commercial vehicles. In August 1987 a three-speed automatic transmission became available, and lastly there

24840-448: The same order. In January 1977, the Fronte received some light alterations including new seats, a rectangular Suzuki badge in the front grille, taillights of a new construction, and a slightly remodelled engine lid with a somewhat wider recess for the license plate. This model is sometimes referred to as the SS10-2, to tell it apart from the pre-facelift model. Suzuki's inability to fully meet

25024-459: The same structure as affirmative sentences, but with intonation rising at the end. In the formal register, the question particle -ka is added. For example, ii desu ( いいです ) "It is OK" becomes ii desu-ka ( いいですか。 ) "Is it OK?". In a more informal tone sometimes the particle -no ( の ) is added instead to show a personal interest of the speaker: Dōshite konai-no? "Why aren't (you) coming?". Some simple queries are formed simply by mentioning

25208-403: The same time. The basic Standard and Deluxe versions (A100) were still fitted with the old 26 PS (19 kW) ME24E air-cooled engine Yellow engine, for a top speed of 105 km/h (65 mph). The better equipped Hi-Deluxe version also appeared in December 1969. A two-door wagon body was also added in December 1969 and was to remain in production until its eventual replacement by

25392-457: The same wagon body style but lacked a top opening at the rear. While it received a new grille it came with a downwards opening trunk lid only, possibly to please the private customer who found the luggage room in the rear-engined Fronte too small by disguising the fact that a wagon (not popular in Japan in those days) was involved. Thus, the Fronte Custom became one of only two wagons ever without

25576-405: The seventh-generation three- and five-door Minica and Minica Toppo were introduced, with longer wheelbase. The five-valve-per-cylinder three-cylinder engines were replaced with a pair of 659 cc four-cylinder engines; one normally aspirated with single overhead cam and four valves per cylinder, and one turbocharged with double overhead cam and five valves per cylinder. The Toppo continued to use

25760-551: The spare wheel was mounted in the engine compartment - something more commonly seen in French cars - to help free up more space for luggage. By July 1969 a three-door wagon version intended for private use arrived, the LS11 Suzuki Fronte Estate , to give passenger car buyers a model with more luggage room without the indignity of having to buy a commercial vehicle. The Estate had the same top-hinged rear opening, but featured

25944-454: The sparsely trimmed Econo commercial version 31 PS (23 kW), and the Turbo gained an intercooler and now offered 42 PS (31 kW). Air conditioning finally became an option. Reflecting the design improvements, Mitsubishi advertised the car as a worthy competitor for the considerably larger cars of the one-litre class. A considerable improvement on the old model, sales of the passenger model tripled year-on-year in its first month on

26128-439: The speaker, the listener, and persons mentioned. The Japanese writing system combines Chinese characters , known as kanji ( 漢字 , ' Han characters') , with two unique syllabaries (or moraic scripts) derived by the Japanese from the more complex Chinese characters: hiragana ( ひらがな or 平仮名 , 'simple characters') and katakana ( カタカナ or 片仮名 , 'partial characters'). Latin script ( rōmaji ローマ字 )

26312-467: The sportier yet Suzuki Fronte SSS to follow in April 1970. The SS was the quickest kei-car yet, managing to break the twenty second barrier in reaching 400 metres from standing with 19.95 seconds. The car had different wheels and also featured a rev counter. It was introduced with an unusual marketing stunt: racing driver Stirling Moss and TT -winning motorcycle racer Mitsuo Itoh were engaged to drive two SS Frontes (one red, one pale yellow) on

26496-469: The standard four-speed manual received lower gearing for the Econo model. The engine was more quiet than before, featuring a milder cam profile. Power output of the G23B remained the same, although the Econo was stuck with a 29 PS (21 kW) version of the old 2G23 engine. Top speed of the Ami was 110 km/h (68 mph). In December 1981 a strict two-seater version of the Econo was added. One year later,

26680-797: The state as at the time the constitution was written, many of the elders participating in the process had been educated in Japanese during the South Seas Mandate over the island shown by the 1958 census of the Trust Territory of the Pacific that found that 89% of Palauans born between 1914 and 1933 could speak and read Japanese, but as of the 2005 Palau census there were no residents of Angaur that spoke Japanese at home. Japanese dialects typically differ in terms of pitch accent , inflectional morphology , vocabulary , and particle usage. Some even differ in vowel and consonant inventories, although this

26864-476: The street. (grammatically incorrect insertion of a pronoun) But one can grammatically say essentially the same thing in Japanese: 驚いた彼は道を走っていった。 Transliteration: Odoroita kare wa michi o hashitte itta. (grammatically correct) This is partly because these words evolved from regular nouns, such as kimi "you" ( 君 "lord"), anata "you" ( あなた "that side, yonder"), and boku "I" ( 僕 "servant"). This

27048-502: The tax benefits were lowered and the Lettuce became classified as a sedan. A three-door passenger car version was introduced at the same time. The asymmetric Minica Lettuce was developed together with the Seiyu supermarket chain, which also sold the car directly. It was meant specifically to simplify the loading of children and shopping. The pace of development in the Japanese automobile industry

27232-404: The top three gears only. In a break with Fronte's front-wheel drive traditions, the powertrain was placed transversely in the rear, as was becoming the norm for kei cars of the period. The LC10 Fronte was dubbed the "Queen of the keis" by Suzuki's marketing department - a claim which may have influenced Subaru to name their 360 replacement the " Rex ". The LC10 was introduced with great fanfare and

27416-550: The topic with an interrogative intonation to call for the hearer's attention: Kore wa? "(What about) this?"; O-namae wa? ( お名前は？ ) "(What's your) name?". Negatives are formed by inflecting the verb. For example, Pan o taberu ( パンを食べる。 ) "I will eat bread" or "I eat bread" becomes Pan o tabenai ( パンを食べない。 ) "I will not eat bread" or "I do not eat bread". Plain negative forms are i -adjectives (see below) and inflect as such, e.g. Pan o tabenakatta ( パンを食べなかった。 ) "I did not eat bread". Mitsubishi Minica The Minica

27600-419: The two consonants are the moraic nasal followed by a homorganic consonant. Japanese also includes a pitch accent , which is not represented in moraic writing; for example [haꜜ.ɕi] ("chopsticks") and [ha.ɕiꜜ] ("bridge") are both spelled はし ( hashi ) , and are only differentiated by the tone contour. Japanese word order is classified as subject–object–verb . Unlike many Indo-European languages ,

27784-577: The two methods were both used in writing until the 1940s. Bungo still has some relevance for historians, literary scholars, and lawyers (many Japanese laws that survived World War II are still written in bungo , although there are ongoing efforts to modernize their language). Kōgo is the dominant method of both speaking and writing Japanese today, although bungo grammar and vocabulary are occasionally used in modern Japanese for effect. The 1982 state constitution of Angaur , Palau , names Japanese along with Palauan and English as an official language of

27968-472: The two terms (''hyōjungo'' and ''kyōtsūgo'') are almost the same. Hyōjungo or kyōtsūgo is a conception that forms the counterpart of dialect. This normative language was born after the Meiji Restoration ( 明治維新 , meiji ishin , 1868) from the language spoken in the higher-class areas of Tokyo (see Yamanote ). Hyōjungo is taught in schools and used on television and in official communications. It

28152-520: The van (A104V) received a lower powered 28 PS (21 kW) version thereof. The Minica 5 was a mere interim model, anticipating the more thoroughly revised Minica Ami 55 which was soon to arrive. In June 1977 the car and engine grew once again, creating the Minica Ami 55 . While the side body panels remained the same, length increased yet a little more (3175 mm) and the entire car was widened by 10 mm (0.4 in). The updated 546 cc Vulcan 2G23 engine provided 31 PS (23 kW) for

28336-407: The verb (e.g. yonde for earlier yomite ), the -k- in the final mora of adjectives drops out ( shiroi for earlier shiroki ); and some forms exist where modern standard Japanese has retained the earlier form (e.g. hayaku > hayau > hayɔɔ , where modern Japanese just has hayaku , though the alternative form is preserved in the standard greeting o-hayō gozaimasu "good morning"; this ending

28520-414: The water-cooled models led Suzuki to quickly introduce further versions, with the lesser GO-W and GS-W models (also with 34 hp) appearing two months later. By November 1971, after a minor facelift including a new grille, the cars were called Suzuki Fronte 72 . The sporty air-cooled engines were dropped as the more refined water-cooled units became more and more popular, except in the very lowest end of

28704-548: The world. Since Japanese first gained the consideration of linguists in the late 19th century, attempts have been made to show its genealogical relation to languages or language families such as Ainu , Korean , Chinese , Tibeto-Burman , Uralic , Altaic (or Ural-Altaic ), Austroasiatic , Austronesian and Dravidian . At the fringe, some linguists have even suggested a link to Indo-European languages , including Greek , or to Sumerian . Main modern theories try to link Japanese either to northern Asian languages, like Korean or

28888-540: Was Osamu Mochizuki (望月 修) who crossed the finish line just ahead of teammate Haruhisa Fujita (藤田 晴久), both a full minute ahead of the third-placed Subaru 360 . The fastest lap was also made by a Fronte, by eighth-place finisher Isamu Kawashima, who managed a lap speed of 90.72 km/h (56.37 mph) around the 6 km (3.7 mi) course. In October 1965 the further improved CCI engine (Cylinder Crank Injection), which further cut down oil consumption and startup smoke. The FEA-II engine also gained an extra horsepower, for

29072-401: Was a radical departure from its predecessor, very much in the style of the 1970 Datsun Cherry E10 . The underpinnings remained largely the same, however, retaining the water-cooled engines and suspension from the LC10 with a 20 mm longer wheelbase (2030 mm). Overall dimensions, dictated by the kei-car regulations, remained 2995×1295 mm. The air-cooled engines were discontinued, but

29256-506: Was adjusted and transistor ignition was introduced, the compression ratio nudged up to 9.7:1 (from 9.5), and the EGR and catalytic converter were improved. Claimed power inched down to 29 PS (21 kW) at 6000 rpm. A new top version, the FS-QG was also introduced. It offered digital instrumentation. The Alto generally outsold the Fronte at a rate of about five to two, although the Fronte remained

29440-460: Was again revamped, with the GL and SL becoming the Super Deluxe and Custom. Mitsubishi also lightly redesigned the Minica to accept the new, bigger license plates now required for Kei cars. On 12 April 1976 (March for the Minica 5 Van), corresponding to revised kei car regulations of January 1976 (length up to 3.2 m, width to 1.4 m and engine size to 550 cc) both the sedan and the van received

29624-577: Was also a part-time four-wheel drive version of the five-door CB72 Fronte (the CD72S , from January 1988). By September, the CB/CD72 was replaced. The 1988 Suzuki Cervo used the chassis, front clip and door panels from the CB/CD72 Fronte. A slightly longer and wider version (bigger bumpered), equipped with the same 796 cc engine as the SS80, producing 40 PS (29 kW) was the export model. In Europe it

29808-429: Was also discontinued. In October 1972 the 2nd-generation Minica received its last facelift, becoming the Minica 73 as a low-cost alternative to the new F4. Marketed either as a Standard or a Deluxe, only the de-tuned 31 PS ( 2G10-5 ) Red engine also used in the Van versions was now available, placing the "73" firmly at the bottom of the Minica lineup, and air-cooled engines were nolonger available. One year later,

29992-518: Was an already odd-looking car even stranger. Now the Suzuki Fronte Hatch 55 (or 550), it received the three-cylinder 539 cc LJ50 engine, which was a de-smogged L50 engine with an extra cylinder tacked on: it was also known as the T5A/T5B in other applications. The new model code was SH10 . The inside remained nearly unchanged and the only differences at the rear was a new, larger bumper, and

30176-535: Was based on 12- to 20-second-long recordings of 135 to 244 phonemes , which 42 students listened to and translated word-for-word. The listeners were all Keio University students who grew up in the Kanto region . There are some language islands in mountain villages or isolated islands such as Hachijō-jima island , whose dialects are descended from Eastern Old Japanese . Dialects of the Kansai region are spoken or known by many Japanese, and Osaka dialect in particular

30360-476: Was first built by Shin Mitsubishi Heavy-Industries, one of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries ' three regional automotive companies, until they were merged in 1964. As such, the badge predates M.M.C. itself. In Japan, it was sold at a specific retail chain called Galant Shop . The Minica range was replaced by the Mitsubishi eK and the Mitsubishi i in 2007 and 2011, respectively. The precursor of

30544-521: Was front-wheel-drive, although during the years when the Fronte was rear-engined, rear-wheel-drive , Suzuki stated that it referred to their aim of being at the front of the Kei class. The Suzulight Van -based TLA Fronte was introduced in March 1962 as a passenger car version of the popular light van. Built at Takatsuka Assembly in Hamamatsu, the Suzulight Fronte was based on the earlier Suzulight SS series, itself

30728-564: Was imported to Japan from Baekje around the start of the fifth century, alongside Buddhism. The earliest texts were written in Classical Chinese , although some of these were likely intended to be read as Japanese using the kanbun method, and show influences of Japanese grammar such as Japanese word order. The earliest text, the Kojiki , dates to the early eighth century, and was written entirely in Chinese characters, which are used to represent, at different times, Chinese, kanbun , and Old Japanese. As in other texts from this period,

30912-410: Was installed in the Hi-Super DX and S versions. Production ended in October 1970, in advance of the succeeding "Stingray" Fronte. January 1969 saw the arrival of the Suzuki Fronte Van three-door wagon (LS10) as a successor to the Suzulight FE-series Van which had been built alongside the LC10 for a couple of years. The LS10 featured a conventional drivetrain lay-out (engine in front, rear wheel drive),

31096-448: Was introduced for the Dangan ZZ model, producing 64 PS (47 kW). The Dangan was originally a commercial vehicle, but became a passenger car in August 1989. It was later made available in naturally aspirated form as well, as the Dangan Si and Dangan Ri. In May 1991 an automatic option was added to the Dangan ZZ. The van models gradually lost importance as their tax advantages were whittled away, with buyers increasingly going for

31280-430: Was introduced in February 1984 as a front engined , front wheel drive vehicle for the first time. It offered three- and five-door configurations, increased size and a torsion beam / coil spring rear suspension. With its "tall-boy" design it was much more spacious inside. It retained the G23B engine, but modernized with a timing belt rather than the old noisy timing chain. The Minica sedan had 33 PS (24 kW),

31464-527: Was introduced in October 1998 to take advantage of the new regulations, as a pair of three-door and five-door sedans with torsion beam rear suspension and optional four-wheel drive, with the only available engine the 657 cc three-cylinder single overhead cam unit, now equipped with four valves per cylinder. This version is at the maximum exterior dimensions and engine displacement limits as defined in Japanese government regulations for cars classified as kei cars . A five-door MPV built on this platform but with

31648-402: Was laid to rest. When Japanese tax laws for vehicles in the kei class were changed in April 1989, kei commercial vehicles were no longer quite as favored as before. But, since the Alto had long had a much larger market share than the Fronte, it was decided to drop the Fronte name and focus marketing efforts on the Alto, which now became available as a five-door and three-door sedan as well as

31832-402: Was lost immediately following its composition.) This set of morae shrank to 67 in Early Middle Japanese , though some were added through Chinese influence. Man'yōgana also has a symbol for /je/ , which merges with /e/ before the end of the period. Several fossilizations of Old Japanese grammatical elements remain in the modern language – the genitive particle tsu (superseded by modern no )

32016-413: Was made available only to organizations working to protect the environment . In October 2001, a five-door wagon version of the Minica was introduced as the Mitsubishi eK Wagon , and now serves as Mitsubishi's primary product in the "kei" class. Passenger versions were discontinued in 2007, while the models intended for commercial use continued to be built until 2011. The Mitsubishi eK is a kei-car which

32200-408: Was mainly intended for short distance inner-city use. Both the Alto and Fronte had a claimed top speed of 110 km/h (68 mph). The new Fronte was a big step away from the SS20, making the switch from a rear-engined, rear-wheel drive configuration to a more up-to-date transversely mounted engine in front, driving the front wheels. Wheelbase was increased from 2030 to 2150 mm and the new car

32384-420: Was modernized by two square gauges instead of a large oval one, the ignition key was moved from the dashboard to the steering column and the two-tone interior was changed to simply black. Externally, the decorative trim pieces in the front grille and on the air inlets at the rear were replaced by real grilles. First gear was also synchronized, unlike on earlier cars. In July 1969 the Fronte S appeared, which offered

32568-452: Was much cleaner than, but not as smooth running as its two-stroke predecessors. The six single-carb-engined versions provided 32 PS (24 kW) while the twin-carb version listed for the GS and GSL models offered 36 PS (26 kW). The Van range continued to use the previous body. In late 1973, facing shrinking Kei-car sales, Mitsubishi narrowed the Minica F4 range down to four equipment levels (Hi-Standard, Deluxe, GL and SL), with

32752-438: Was much more spacious. The four-door Fronte had an opening rear glass window, whereas the two-door Alto got a proper rear hatch. In some export markets the car was just known as the Suzuki SS40. In Europe, the Fronte (usually labelled Alto) was also sold with a 796 cc four-stroke three ( SS80 ) from July 1981 and was 100 mm longer, thanks to bigger bumpers. These cars also received larger 12-inch wheels. Four-doors received

32936-438: Was now a full five-door hatchback, on a wheelbase extended to 2,175 mm (85.6 in). Only the 543 cc F5A engine was available, with the power output back up to 31 hp (23 kW) at 6000 rpm. The most expensive model, the FG, received front disc brakes (the lesser versions making do with drums all around) and a 5-speed manual transmission or 3-speed automatic. As before, the Fronte received higher gearing than

33120-423: Was only built there for about a year, soon being replaced by the new SS10. In April 1973 the LS30 Fronte Hatch replaced the LS20 Suzuki Fronte Van. It used the 28 hp two-cylinder two-cycle water-cooled 359 cc L50 engine also seen in the Carry and Jimny and was of a front-engine, rear-wheel drive layout. The Hatch was available in four equipment levels, ranging from the very basic "E" which lacked even

33304-409: Was relentless in the 1980s, leaving the fifth generation Minica looking rather outmoded towards the decade's end. Sales of the fifth generation had dropped to under 27,000 cars in 1988, while almost 77,000 Minicas were sold in 1989 (nearly all being of the new generation). An advanced new turbocharged engine with double overhead cams and the world's first mass-produced five-valve-per-cylinder engine

33488-427: Was replaced by the SB-308 body style (also known as the CB72 , which ended production in early 2020), called the Suzuki Mehran. The FX features prominently as the car driven by the protagonist in Mohsin Hamid 's debut work Moth Smoke . In September 1984 the new Fronte CB71 was introduced. Now only with the F5A four-stroke engine, it retained the suspension of the SS40 model ( leaf sprung , beam axle ). The Fronte

33672-411: Was simply referred to as the Suzuki LC10W in export markets, where it received a 35 PS (26 kW) 356 cc engine. The Fronte Coupé was resurrected in a revised and larger form as the Suzuki Cervo in October 1977, after Kei car regulations were changed in January 1976. In July 1973 the New Fronte became the old Fronte as it was replaced by the new LC20. Its very rounded "Oval Shell" design

33856-544: Was sold as the Alto, in other countries as the SB308 or with the Fronte nameplate. The facelifted Fronte has also been produced (or still is being built) under license by many other manufacturers: In September 1988, the new CN11S Fronte debuted. The previous generation was not as roomy as the competition due to its comparably short wheelbase, but the new version addressed this issue by having it stretched out by 160 mm (6.3 in) to 2,335 mm (91.9 in). A sleeker looking body, with rear side windows that wrapped around

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