You have to wonder if Daihatsu did something to upset the show organizers this year — their sparsely attended conference had the misfortune to clash with no fewer than seven other press conferences.

That’s a shame, because while it may have been a low-key presentation, Daihatsu actually has one of the most convincing stories to tell on this year’s hot topic — being green — not to mention having two world-premiere concept cars to show off, and its 100th birthday to celebrate.

With a long history of specializing in highly engineered small cars, Daihatsu’s engineers know how to make cars that are compact and efficient without being austere, boring, or substandard. It claims, for example, to have the lowest CO2 emissions of any four-seater petrol-engined car on the market in the shape of its smart new Cuore, at 104 g/km (per .62 miles). That exactly matches, by the way, the much more costly and complex (but admittedly rather larger) Toyota Prius. The Cuore goes on sale September 15th in Germany.

"Heart and Smile Mover"

First of the debuting concepts is the HSC. HSC stands for “Heart and Smile Mover” (or at least “HS” does), and the car is intended to be “gentle to the earth and its people.” It’s a five-door hatchback with rear-hinged rear doors and no B-pillar, making the compact interior much easier to access than is typical in small cars.

The tall one-box shape isn’t innovative, but the design is nicely detailed, and aerodynamically optimized for low drag. Visually, the most striking aspect is the protruding square-edged front bumper area, contrasting with the organic teardrop-shape of the main cabin. Combined with a stop-start system and efficient 3-cylinder engine, it promises low 1.08 gallons/100 km (62 miles) consumption and 95 g/km (.62 miles) emissions.

OFC-1 Concept

The OFC-1 is equally diminutive but fulfills a rather different role: It’s a miniature two-seater roadster into which a fully automatic electrically powered folding hardtop has been squeezed.

Even with the roof up, you can enjoy views of the sky (or taller vehicles alongside) through the glass roof. A variable liquid crystal sunshade system allows occupants to make the glass or more less opaque, maintaining a comfortable internal temperature even in strong sunlight. Designers claim there’s enough space in the pocket-sized trunk for two adults to take overnight luggage, even with the roof down.

Promised consumption is 1.21 gallons/100 km (62 miles) with emissions at 101 g/km (.62 miles) No performance figures were quoted.

It’s another appealing, understated, and well-executed design study that’s probably not far removed from what a production car would look like. And it wouldn’t be the first time Daihatsu made a characterful little roadster like this. OFC-1 is worth a look — it may be small, but we hope people don’t miss it altogether.