Hakaru Carica

1985 CA25R Carica

Hakaru Ascenta (Japan/Europe, 1979-1999)

The Hakaru Carica (Japanese: はかる) is a series of compact cars (formerly subcompact) manufactured and sold globally by Hakaru since the introduction of the model in 1966. It is the best selling vehicle in the history of the brand, having sold 30 million Carica over several generations and refreshes up until the present.

Hakaru's methodical use of the Carica nameplate has led to a large range of Hakaru dealerships in the network, dividing dealerships to sell different models each, catering to a dfiferent target customer-base. Exclusive to Japan was the Hakaru "Intra" dealership network, selling the Carica minus the diesel and high performance variants. The "Diesel Store" sold diesel Carica and other models alongside in Japan, and the "Celerity Store" sold higher performance sports models of Hakaru cars.

Early models were all rear-wheel drive, while later models adopted front-wheel drive starting with the A25 generation of Carica. Four-wheel drive has regularly been an option, mostly in Japan. The designated chassis code for the Carica is "A", with specific model being denoted by accompaniment of Hakaru's Chassis and Engine codes. The name "Carica" was derived from the Latin term Caricaceae, which is the name of a family of plants that are related to the Papaya.

## Locations of manufacture

Hakaru produced the Carica in various different locations, including in South Africa and New Zealand, however the six factories currently employed to build the present day Carica (A65) are: Hakaru Manufacturing Plant Japan, Hakaru GB Manufacturing Plant and Hakaru Turkey Manufacturing Plant.

## First generation (A5; 1966)

The first generation of Carica was launched in 1966 during the large growth of demand for private car ownership in the mid 1960s. Initially, the A5 generation of Carica was available with the 1M 1100cc engine, which was available with a 4-speed manual transmission or a 2-speed "Hakarumatic" automatic transmission, introduced in 1967 alongside the introduction of a coupe bodystyle.

## Fifth generation (A25; 1983)

The A25 generation of Carica employed the latest front-wheel drive layout to modernize the vehicle, cut manufacturing costs and provide optimal grip around tight city corners. This was also the first generation of Carica to borrow a powerplant unit from Bermag for the European market, as it was a very popular and practical vehicle and sold very well in 5 door liftback shape. Fuel injection and 16 valves become more accessible for an extra cost optionally.

## Eighth generation (A40; 1997)

The A40 generation of Carica was introduced in mid 1997 for the Japanese and European market, and late 1998 for the North American market, with completely different styling between the markets. It followed in the ways of the A35 generation, with squared off, wider headlights, a sloped back rear design and more rounded styling cues. However for the European market, the A40 Carica had a front end consumers ended up nicknaming the "frog-eye" or "bug-eye", thanks to the very round shape.

The A40 Carica found its way to racing stardom between 1997 and 2000, with the moderate success of the JE1AA48T Carica in the WRC driven by Charlie Parkins and Ross Metcalfe. With 300hp and 384Nm of torque on tap coming form the JE14A-FT, it was a fairly good contender. Reliability was what drove the car to many podium finishes and two victories, as this gave the car an upper hand over the competition which suffered a slightly larger amount of breakdowns, in turn creating good publicity for this generation of Carica.

Production lasted until 2002.