Daihatsu Move Grade Guide: RS vs G vs X vs L — All-New 7th Generation Explained

One of Japan's best-known kei tall wagons finally got its first full redesign in over a decade — delayed two years by Daihatsu's certification scandal, and arriving with sliding doors for the first time in the nameplate's history. Here's exactly what separates RS, G, X, and L, current through the July 2026 update.

📅 7th-generation Move (LA850/860S): Full model change June 5, 2025, first running update July 29, 2026 🚗 Grades: RS · G · X · L 🇯🇵 Japan Domestic Market — 660cc Kei Tall Wagon 🚪 First-Ever Sliding Doors and Electric Parking Brake on Move

A Redesign Eleven Years in the Making — Delayed by Scandal

Move's outgoing sixth generation launched in December 2014 and stayed in production far longer than Daihatsu originally intended, remaining on sale until 2023. The reason for the extended wait: Daihatsu's vehicle safety-certification fraud scandal, which came to light and forced a broad reassessment of development and testing across the company's lineup. The result was roughly a two-year delay to Move's planned full redesign, with the all-new seventh generation (chassis code LA850/860S) finally reaching showrooms on June 5, 2025 — the nameplate's first full model change in nearly eleven years.

What's Genuinely New About the 7th Generation

This isn't a cosmetic refresh. The redesign brought several firsts to the Move nameplate specifically:

• Daihatsu's DNGA (Daihatsu New Global Architecture) platform, used on this model for the first time
• Both-side sliding doors, a first in Move's history — previous generations used conventional hinged doors throughout
• Electric parking brake, also a first for this nameplate
• The latest generation of Smart Assist, Daihatsu's collision-avoidance and driver-support suite, standardized across the range
• Grade structure simplification: the "Custom" sub-line that existed alongside standard Move in previous generations was discontinued, and separate "SA"-suffix grade naming was dropped since Smart Assist is now standard on every grade rather than being a distinguishing feature

One Disappointment: No e-SMART HYBRID

Given that Daihatsu's e-SMART HYBRID series-hybrid system had already rolled out to the Rocky and, later, the Tanto FunCross, many expected the redesigned Move to finally get a hybrid option too. It didn't. The 7th-generation Move launched with a conventional two-engine lineup — naturally aspirated and turbocharged versions of the KF-series engine — with no hybrid variant offered at launch. If fuel economy is a top priority and you were hoping for a hybrid Move, that option currently doesn't exist on this generation.

Grade Lineup at a Glance

Prices and fuel economy figures per Daihatsu's official Japan-market pricing, current through the July 29, 2026 update. Hokkaido-region pricing runs slightly higher across all grades due to cold-weather specification. RS is the only turbocharged grade — G, X, and L all share the same naturally aspirated engine.

Turbo vs Naturally Aspirated — The Core Engine Choice

Turbo (RS only)

• Daihatsu's KF-VET turbocharged 658cc three-cylinder
• Noticeably stronger acceleration for highway merging and hill driving, or when carrying a full load
• Available in 2WD or 4WD
• The only way to get turbo power on the current Move — it's exclusive to RS

Naturally Aspirated (G, X, L)

• Daihatsu's KF-VE naturally aspirated 658cc three-cylinder
• Better fuel economy than the turbo across every comparable configuration
• Shared across three grades, with G, X, and L differing from each other mainly in trim and convenience equipment rather than mechanicals

Full Grade Breakdown

RS — Top Grade, Turbo

From ¥1,947,000 (2WD)

• Front combination grille in gunmetal paint with chrome molding
• Side stone guard
• 15-inch cut-and-polished aluminum wheels, exclusive to this grade
• Full LED headlamps with clearance lamps, auto light, and auto-leveling
• LED fog lamps
• Pillar blackout (body-color instead if Black Mica exterior is selected)
• Active Multi Information Meter
• Leather-wrapped steering wheel with chrome ornament and premium shine-black accent
• Leather-wrapped center shift with chrome button and accent
• Silver-accented air conditioning registers and chrome-accented register knob
• Full fabric seats with silver stitching, navy front door armrest trim

G — Upper-Mid Grade

From ¥1,765,500 (2WD)

• Same front grille and side stone guard as RS
• 14-inch aluminum wheels (versus RS's larger 15-inch cut-and-polished design)
• Full LED headlamps with clearance lamps, auto light, and auto-leveling — matching RS
• LED fog lamps, matching RS
• Pillar blackout, Active Multi Information Meter — both shared with RS
• Urethane steering wheel (not leather-wrapped) with the same chrome ornament and premium shine-black accent
• Body-color center shift (not leather-wrapped) with chrome button and accent
• Same silver-accented registers and fabric seats with silver stitching as RS

G is a genuinely close match to RS on lighting, wheels-adjacent trim, and interior finish — the two biggest things you give up versus RS are the turbo engine and the leather-wrapped steering wheel/shift.

X — Mid Grade

From ¥1,501,500 (2WD)

• Black front grille (not gunmetal/chrome like RS and G)
• 14-inch full wheel caps (not genuine alloys)
• Full LED headlamps with clearance lamps and auto light, but manual leveling rather than RS/G's auto-leveling
• Pillar blackout, matching RS and G
• Multi Information Display — a simpler unit than RS/G's "Active" version
• Urethane steering wheel with chrome ornament and silver accent (not premium shine-black)
• Body-color center shift, no chrome accent
• Simpler cup holder and center tray, without silver accent trim
• Full fabric seats without silver stitching, greige front door armrest trim (versus RS/G's navy)

L — Entry Grade

From ¥1,369,500 (2WD)

• Same black front grille, 14-inch full wheel caps, and manual-leveling full LED headlamps as X
• Colored (body-color) pillars instead of X's pillar blackout — the main visible difference between X and L
• Same Multi Information Display, urethane steering wheel, and body-color center shift as X
• Same simpler cup holder/tray and non-silver-stitched fabric seats as X

L and X are otherwise nearly identical in equipment — the pillar treatment (blackout on X, body-color on L) is the clearest distinguishing visual cue between them.

Full Feature Comparison Table

✓ = Standard/Available | ✗ = Not offered. Features sourced directly from Daihatsu's official grade pages (daihatsu.co.jp/lineup/move), current through the July 2026 update.

What Changed in the July 29, 2026 Update

The 7th generation's first running update, effective July 29, 2026, brought two headline changes:

• Smart Assist detection expanded to include crossing cyclists and oncoming vehicles during right turns — genuine functional safety improvements, not just a features refresh
• 7-inch TFT meter adopted, replacing the previous, simpler display
• A price revision accompanied these changes

Since this is the very first update to a brand-new generation, treat any Move you're evaluating with particular attention to build date — equipment described in this guide reflects the current, post-July-2026-update specification.

Which Grade Should You Buy?

💴 Best for Lowest Cost

Choose L. Full LED headlamps and Smart Assist come standard even at the entry level — you're mainly giving up alloy wheels, fog lamps, and some interior trim finish compared to higher grades.

⭐ Best Value

Choose X. A modest step up from L (primarily the pillar blackout treatment) for a reasonable price increase, while staying with the same naturally aspirated engine.

🏆 Best Standard-Engine Specification

Choose G. Genuine alloy wheels, auto-leveling LED headlamps, LED fog lamps, and a leather-look premium-black-accented interior — nearly matching RS's finish level without the turbo engine's added cost.

🚀 Best for Performance

Choose RS. The only turbocharged grade, with the largest wheels, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift, and the most complete standard equipment in the range.

Importing a Daihatsu Move

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

• Confirm you're looking at the 7th generation (June 2025 onward) — a Move with conventional hinged doors, no electric parking brake, or older Smart Assist branding (SA/SA II/SA III grade suffixes) is necessarily from the outgoing 6th generation, a mechanically and structurally different vehicle with none of this generation's DNGA-platform changes.
• A turbo badge or 15-inch cut-and-polished wheels confirm RS — no other grade offers either.
• Front grille color is a fast first check: gunmetal with chrome molding means RS or G; black means X or L.
• Pillar treatment (blackout vs body-color) is the cleanest way to separate X from L, since their other equipment is otherwise very similar.
• Given how recently this generation launched, and that it only just received its first running update (July 2026), expect very limited used-market supply and history for the time being — this is still a genuinely new platform.
• There is no hybrid Move on this generation — if a listing claims hybrid power, verify carefully, since Daihatsu did not include e-SMART HYBRID in this redesign despite earlier expectations that it would.

Always confirm the exact grade, engine, drivetrain, and accident history against the chassis number before bidding, since equipment details 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

Is the current Daihatsu Move a completely new model? Yes. It received a full model change (7th generation) on June 5, 2025 — its first full redesign in nearly eleven years, delayed roughly two years by Daihatsu's vehicle certification scandal. It introduced the DNGA platform, sliding doors, and an electric parking brake to the Move nameplate for the first time.

Does the Daihatsu Move have a hybrid option? No. Despite Daihatsu's e-SMART HYBRID system being available on other models like the Rocky and Tanto FunCross, the redesigned Move launched with only naturally aspirated and turbocharged gasoline engines — no hybrid variant is currently offered.

What is the cheapest Daihatsu Move grade? The L grade, priced from ¥1,369,500 (tax included) for the 2WD naturally aspirated version.

What is the difference between Move RS and G? RS uses a turbocharged engine and adds 15-inch cut-and-polished wheels along with a leather-wrapped steering wheel and center shift. G uses the naturally aspirated engine and 14-inch alloy wheels, with a urethane (non-leather) steering wheel and shift — but otherwise shares similar lighting, fog lamps, and interior trim finish with RS.

Does the Move have sliding doors? Yes, as of the 7th generation (June 2025 onward) — both-side sliding doors were adopted for the first time in Move's history. Earlier generations used conventional hinged doors.

What changed in the Move's July 2026 update? Smart Assist gained detection for crossing cyclists and oncoming vehicles during right turns, a new 7-inch TFT meter was adopted, and pricing was revised. This was the first running update since the June 2025 full model change.

Why was the new Move delayed so long? Daihatsu's vehicle safety-certification fraud scandal forced a broad reassessment of development and testing across its lineup, pushing the planned full redesign back by roughly two years from its original schedule.