Daihatsu Move Canbus Grade Guide: Stripes vs Theory, G Turbo vs G vs X — All Differences Explained

Daihatsu's cute, sliding-door kei wagon comes in two completely different design personalities before you even get to grade level. Here's exactly how Stripes and Theory differ, what separates G Turbo, G, and X within each, and what the "Interior Selection" special editions actually change.

📅 Current Model: Since July 13, 2022 (first full model change since Move Canbus launched in 2016) 🚗 Two Design Themes: Stripes · Theory — each with G Turbo · G Turbo "Interior Selection" · G · G "Interior Selection" · X 🇯🇵 Japan Domestic Market — 660cc Kei Car with Sliding Doors 🎀 Move's Cute, Youth-Oriented Sibling

What Is the Daihatsu Move Canbus?

Move Canbus launched in September 2016 as a Move-based model built specifically around sliding rear doors and a soft, "milk pop"–style cute design, aimed at younger buyers — particularly young mothers — well before sliding doors ever reached the standard Move nameplate itself (which only gained them with its own 7th-generation redesign in June 2025). Canbus received its first-ever full model change on July 13, 2022, six years after its debut, and that update introduced two genuinely significant changes at once: a turbocharged engine option for the first time, and a restructured lineup split across two distinct design themes rather than a single look.

Stripes vs Theory — Two Cars, One Nameplate

This is the detail most likely to confuse first-time buyers or researchers: Move Canbus isn't sold as one consistent look with optional colors. It's sold as two parallel sub-lines, each with its own full grade structure:

• Stripes — the more overtly cute, pop-art-influenced design direction
• Theory — a calmer, more retro-inspired design direction, with additional chrome exterior accents (a chrome-look pinstripe and chrome rear bumper molding) not found on Stripes

Both sub-lines share the same mechanical underpinnings and largely the same five-grade structure, but each has its own standard interior color scheme and slightly different special-edition pricing — covered in detail below.

Grade Lineup at a Glance

Prices per Daihatsu's official Japan-market pricing. Add roughly ¥126,500 (G Turbo/X grades) for 4WD. Hokkaido-region pricing runs slightly higher across all grades due to cold-weather specification. Notice that the "Interior Selection" special editions price slightly differently between Stripes and Theory (Theory's version is about ¥11,000 cheaper at the same grade level), while the standard G Turbo, G, and X grades are priced identically across both design themes.

Turbo vs Naturally Aspirated

Turbo (G Turbo, G Turbo "Interior Selection")

• Daihatsu's KF-VET turbocharged 658cc three-cylinder, roughly 64 PS
• Genuinely stronger acceleration for highway merging or carrying a full load — a meaningful driving-character difference, not just a badge
• Added to Move Canbus for the first time with this 2022 redesign

Naturally Aspirated (G, G "Interior Selection," X)

• Daihatsu's KF-VE naturally aspirated 658cc three-cylinder, roughly 52 PS
• Better fuel economy across every comparable configuration
• Shared across three of the five grades in each design theme

What "Interior Selection" Actually Changes

The "Interior Selection" special editions are a genuinely interesting swap: rather than adding all-new equipment, they borrow the other design theme's standard interior color scheme and trim as a special package.

• Stripes G Turbo/G "Interior Selection" brings in Theory's standard interior treatment: brown instrument panel and door trim, navy full-fabric seats with piping, a leather-wrapped steering wheel (chrome ornament, premium shine-black accent), and a leather-wrapped center shift.
• Theory G Turbo/G "Interior Selection" brings in Stripes' standard interior treatment: white instrument panel and door trim, light-gray full-fabric seats with piping, a leather-wrapped steering wheel (chrome ornament, silver accent, white horn pad), and a leather-wrapped center shift.

In other words, whichever design theme you pick, the "Interior Selection" version gives you the other theme's cabin look inside a body still styled in your chosen exterior theme — a genuinely unusual way to offer variety, and worth understanding if you're trying to figure out why two seemingly similar Canbus listings have such different-looking interiors.

Full Grade Breakdown (Applies to Both Stripes and Theory Unless Noted)

G Turbo — Top Standard Grade

• 14-inch full wheel caps (silver × pearl white two-tone on Stripes; silver × gray on Theory)
• Full LED headlamps
• LED fog lamps with chrome garnish
• Chrome door outer handle, chrome side garnish
• Theory only: chrome-look pinstripe, chrome rear bumper molding — Theory-exclusive exterior details not found on Stripes at any grade
• Electric parking brake with auto brake hold, standard
• Active Multi Information Meter
• Theory's standard interior (leather-wrapped steering wheel and center shift, white IP/door trim, light-gray seats) — meaning Theory G Turbo already includes what Stripes only offers via its "Interior Selection" upgrade
• Stripes' standard interior (urethane steering wheel with silver accent, body-color center shift, light-gray seats) — the simpler, non-leather treatment unless you choose "Interior Selection"

G — Mid Grade

• Same core exterior equipment as G Turbo (14-inch wheel caps, full LED headlamps, LED fog lamps, chrome handle and side garnish), minus the turbo engine
• Same electric parking brake with auto brake hold and Active Multi Information Meter as G Turbo
• Interior treatment follows the same Stripes/Theory standard-vs-"Interior Selection" pattern described above

X — Entry Grade

• 14-inch full wheel caps (silver only, no two-tone)
• Multi-reflector halogen headlamps — not LED, the clearest equipment step-down from G and G Turbo
• No fog lamps
• No electric parking brake or auto brake hold — this feature is exclusive to G and G Turbo across both design themes
• Simpler Multi Information Display rather than the "Active" version on G/G Turbo
• Urethane steering wheel with chrome ornament and silver accent
• Body-color center shift
• Stripes X: light-gray full fabric seats, no piping mentioned
• Theory X: navy full fabric seats with piping, plus the chrome pinstripe and chrome rear bumper molding shared with Theory's other grades

X is a meaningfully bigger step down from G than G is from G Turbo — halogen headlamps, no electric parking brake, and a simpler meter are genuine functional differences, not just trim.

Full Feature Comparison Table

✓ = Standard/Available | ✗ = Not offered. Features sourced directly from Daihatsu's official grade pages (daihatsu.co.jp/lineup/move_canbus).

Which Design Theme Should You Choose?

• Choose Stripes if you want the more overtly cute, pop-influenced look Move Canbus is best known for.
• Choose Theory if you prefer a calmer, more retro-styled exterior — and note that Theory's G Turbo and G grades already include the leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift as standard, which Stripes only offers through the "Interior Selection" upgrade.
• Either way, the "Interior Selection" special edition is worth considering if you like your chosen exterior theme but prefer the other theme's interior color scheme and trim level.

Which Grade Should You Buy?

💴 Best for Lowest Cost

Choose X. It's a genuine value pick, though be aware you're giving up LED headlamps, fog lamps, and the electric parking brake/auto brake hold feature — real functional differences, not just styling.

⭐ Best Value

Choose G. Full LED headlamps, fog lamps, and the electric parking brake with auto brake hold all become standard here, for a reasonable step up from X.

🏆 Best Standard-Engine Specification

Choose G "Interior Selection" if you want G's full equipment plus the other theme's leather-wrapped steering wheel and richer interior trim, without paying for the turbo engine.

🚀 Best for Performance

Choose G Turbo, or G Turbo "Interior Selection" if you also want the richer interior trim — the only grades offering the turbocharged engine.

Importing a Daihatsu Move Canbus

For buyers sourcing a Move Canbus from Japanese auction, a few identification points matter:

• A chrome-look pinstripe and chrome rear bumper molding confirm Theory — these details don't appear on any Stripes grade.
• Halogen headlamps and the absence of an electric parking brake confirm X — both G and G Turbo have full LED headlamps and the electric parking brake/auto brake hold feature as standard.
• Interior color scheme alone won't reliably tell you Stripes vs Theory on a G/G Turbo grade, since "Interior Selection" special editions deliberately borrow the other theme's cabin look — check the exterior chrome details (Theory) or their absence (Stripes) instead.
• A leather-wrapped steering wheel on a G Turbo or G grade doesn't automatically mean "Interior Selection" was chosen — it's standard on Theory's base G Turbo/G, but only available on Stripes via the special edition. Cross-check exterior theme first.
• Turbo badging or a "G Turbo" grade name confirms the turbocharged engine — G and X both use the naturally aspirated unit.

Always confirm the exact design theme (Stripes vs Theory), grade, engine, and accident history against the chassis number before bidding, since equipment details — especially the interior-color-swap special editions — are easy to misread from auction photos alone. If you're bidding from overseas, running the chassis number through a Japanese auction sheet and history check before you commit is the safest way to confirm the car in front of you actually matches the grade it's listed under — that's exactly the kind of check we built JPChecker to make simple.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between Move Canbus Stripes and Theory? They're two parallel design themes sold under the same Move Canbus nameplate. Stripes uses a more overtly cute, pop-influenced look; Theory uses a calmer, retro-inspired design with additional chrome exterior accents (a pinstripe and rear bumper molding) not found on Stripes. Theory's G Turbo and G grades also include a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift as standard, which Stripes only offers through its "Interior Selection" special edition.

What does "Interior Selection" mean on a Move Canbus? It's a special edition that swaps in the other design theme's standard interior color scheme and trim — a Stripes "Interior Selection" car gets Theory's interior look, and vice versa — while keeping your chosen theme's exterior styling.

What is the cheapest Move Canbus grade? The X grade, priced from ¥1,644,500 (tax included) for the 2WD naturally aspirated version, identical across both Stripes and Theory.

Does the Move Canbus have a turbo engine option? Yes, on the G Turbo grade (and its "Interior Selection" special edition) — added for the first time with this generation's July 2022 full model change. G and X both use the naturally aspirated engine.

Does the Move Canbus have sliding doors? Yes, on every grade — sliding doors have been a defining feature of Move Canbus since its original 2016 launch, well before the standard Move nameplate adopted them in its own 2025 redesign.

What is the difference between Move Canbus and the standard Move? Move Canbus is specifically built around sliding rear doors and a softer, cuter design identity aimed at younger buyers, and offers the Stripes/Theory dual-theme structure. The standard Move (as of its 7th generation) also now has sliding doors, but pursues a more conventional kei-wagon design without Canbus's dedicated youth-oriented styling themes.

Is there an electric parking brake on every Move Canbus grade? No. Electric parking brake with auto brake hold is standard on G and G Turbo (both design themes), but not offered on the entry X grade.