Mitsuoka, a Japanese company known for producing cute Western classic car lookalikes for the domestic market, has facelifted its Viewt Story lineup. The tiny hatchback is now obtainable in a wider range of colors and trim configurations, and the old 1.0-liter three-cylinder engine finally gets retired.
Starting this week, customers are choosing from 15 available exterior finishes. The styling direction still leans strongly into the Jaguar MK2 aesthetic, although the underlying car is a Toyota Yaris. Round headlamps, chrome bumpers and an elegant chrome grille almost make the Viewt Story look like a genuine retro car – that is, until you take a closer look at the proportions.
In turn, the interior can be ordered in any of the eight available colors and spruced up with something called the Special Flower Set. It’s an actual bouquet of artificial flowers meant to be tucked into the dashboard or the center console to create an extra bit of summer ambience. Like it or not, it’s about the most Japanese thing to do with your car for sure!
As we said above, the old 64-PS (63-hp / 47-kW) engine is no longer on the menu. Instead, the 2026 Viewt Story ships with a 1.5-liter three-pot rated at 120 PS (118 hp / 88 kW) as standard. You can choose between six-speed manual or CVT for the transmission and even opt for all-wheel drive if you feel like it.
An alternative comes in the shape of a hybrid powertrain based on the same engine and either one or two e-motors. The peak output doesn’t exceed 116 PS (114 hp / 85 kW) either way.
Prices in Japan start from 3.7 million JPY, which corresponds to $23,200 at the current conversion rates. Maxing out on the options bumps the sticker to 4.8 million JPY, or $30,100. A similarly equipped Yaris will cost you roughly half as much in Japan.