"Minivehicles have become firmly established as a means of day-to-day transport well-suited to Japan," said Mitsubishi Motors Corp president Katsuhiko Kawasoe said at a minicar unveiling this week.

Citing the mini's evolution from an entry-level car for postwar consumers to a second car as the country grew more affluent, Kawasoe said, "This third generation...meets a growing need to address the environment and global warming."

Minivehicles, notable for their tiny 660cc engines and special tax treatment, account for more than one-fourth of all four-wheeled vehicles in Japan.In a country of narrow roads and tight parking spaces, they have in recent years become particularly popular among women.

Japan's five minivehicle manufacturers this week unveiled more than adozen new models to meet stricter safety standards that, along with slightly larger length and width specifications, went into effect on October 1.

The winner of the launch sweepstakes by a number of measures, according to several analysts, was industry leader Suzuki Motor Corp, which offered the cheapest and most fuel-efficient models. Suzuki's new minis included a base model listing for 498,000 yen and a hatchback with an idling shut-down system, which turns off the engine when the car comes to a stop, that the ministry of transportation rated at 30 kilometres per litre (72 miles per gallon). Suzuki said that model, while not yet available, would be brought to market as quickly as possible.

Some analysts had predicted the new models would be more expensive and less fuel-efficient, scaring away many of their traditional customers.

But Suzuki president Osamu Suzuki said his company limited the new, bigger models to a weight gain of 20 kilograms or less, compared with 40 kilograms to 60 kilograms atother carmakers.This accomplishment, he said, was made possible by a "one-gram-per-part" campaign that aimed to cut at least one gram from every component. The new models' floor mats, for example, were trimmed to two kilograms from two-and-a-half kilograms, while the rear side windows were made smaller."Steel sheet is lighter than glass," he said.

Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd, which makes Subaru cars, equipped its minis with continuously variable transmissions, which cut fuel use by up to 20 per cent compared with traditional automatic transmissions.

New engines were also developed to boost performance and fuel efficiency, while Honda Motor Co made a low-emission engine standard on all models.