Mitsuoka Viewt Story gets a light update in Japan, keeping its Jaguar-inspired retro look while adopting the latest Toyota Yaris tech and hybrid-only upgrades.

Mitsuoka has updated the Viewt Story, its long-running retro hatchback based on the Toyota Yaris. The model only moved to the Yaris platform three years ago, after decades of using the Nissan March/Micra as its donor car.

This update follows changes made to the Japanese-market Yaris, but Mitsuoka has kept the exterior design almost untouched. That makes sense: the Viewt Story’s main selling point is still its nostalgic styling, inspired by the classic Jaguar Mark 2.

The front end remains completely different from the Yaris, with round headlights, a chrome-heavy retro grille and a more upright face. The rear is also reworked with round taillights and a chrome bumper, although the transformation is less dramatic than at the front.

The only real exterior change is the expanded color palette. Mitsuoka now offers 15 body colors, including new shades and combinations.

Inside, the Viewt Story gets a larger 8-inch infotainment screen, replacing the previous 7-inch unit. The donor Yaris can be ordered with a 10.5-inch display in Japan, but Mitsuoka does not offer that option here.

Safety equipment has been improved through an expanded Toyota Safety Sense package. Hybrid versions also gain an electronic parking brake. For the retro-style seat upholstery, buyers can choose from eight colors.

Mitsuoka also keeps one of the car’s more unusual accessories: an optional artificial flower holder on the center console. It fits the Viewt Story’s deliberately charming, lifestyle-focused character.

Mechanically, the biggest change is the removal of the old 1.0-liter three-cylinder engine, because Toyota has dropped it from the Yaris lineup in Japan. The entry engine is now a naturally aspirated 1.5-liter three-cylinder producing 120 hp.

That engine can be paired with either a six-speed manual or a CVT. CVT versions are also available with all-wheel drive.

At the top of the range is the hybrid version. It combines a detuned 1.5-liter petrol engine with 91 hp, an 80 hp electric motor and an electromechanical transmission. Optional E-Four all-wheel drive adds a small rear electric motor. Total system output is 116 hp.

The updated Mitsuoka Viewt Story is already available to order in Japan. Prices start from ¥3.7 million, or about $23,300. A fully equipped all-wheel-drive hybrid costs from around ¥4.8 million, roughly $30,000.

That makes the Viewt Story much more expensive than the Toyota Yaris underneath, which costs between ¥1.7 million and ¥3 million in Japan. But Mitsuoka has never sold the Viewt as a rational purchase. It is a small Toyota hatchback turned into a boutique retro car, and that transformation is exactly what buyers are paying for.