Daihatsu Hijet Mini Trucks

After the success of the 3-wheeled Daihatsu Midget utility truck, the company embarked to make an affordable and practical 4-wheeled truck for greater use across Japan’s burgeoning post-war economy. The first generation Hijet Truck and Van featured a more car-like look with a longer front hood and 2-person cab, with a modest bed in the back for cargo. The van variant was also marketed as a practical family car that was great for hauling people and goods alike. The Hijet was more expensive than the Midget it came to replace, but offered a more powerful 2-cylinder engine as well as a capable suspension system featuring leaf springs in the rear and double wishbone construction in the front. It was a great debut for the model with many promising upgrades to come throughout the decades.

Following the success of the 1st gen Hijet, Daihatsu quickly upgraded the truck and then van models to meet the demand of Japan’s growing post-war economy. The most notable change in the 2nd generation was the transition to the cab-over design, which has become the trademark configuration of all kei trucks since. Moving the engine under the cabin seats allows for more cargo room in the back for both truck and van models.

Taking an evolutionary step, the third generation Hijet van and truck maintained its cabover design with styling and technical upgrades all around. The styling theme was dubbed “Active Cubic” and featured recessed headlights in a cube-shaped surround, and a more angular look in general. Additionally the engine received water cooling and a power boost to 23PS (22hp). Van models received independent suspension to improve ride comfort over the truck models.

The 4th generation Hijet was a full redesign with many improvements to the functionality and styling of truck and van models. The van model featured a first-in-class sliding side door. Styling was also updated and refreshed with two round headlights and a silver colored surround on them. A minor refresh in 1974 came to be known as the “Doraemon Hijet” as many people thought the face of the truck resembled the robot cat anime character.

In 1974, kei-class vehicle regulations allowed for larger engines so a new 550cc engine was introduced. The new AB engine was a four-stroke, two-cylinder, engine with single overhead cams which increased power output and reliability all around. Both engine options were sold side-by-side with the two-stroke engine lasting until the early 80’s.

There was also a full-electric concept van that was displayed at the 1970 Osaka World Expo, with plans to introduce a quick charging system in Japan.

The 5th generation Daihatsu Hijet truck and van took full use of new regulations allowing larger engines and vehicle sizes for kei cars. Dubbed the Hijet Wide 55, it included an additional 100 mm (4”) in width for both truck and van models. This increased the cabin size for driver and passenger comfort, as well as improved cargo space for van and truck models. The same new 2-cylinder AB engine was carried over from the end of the last generation, which was updated to account for stricter emissions standards set by the government in response to high gas prices. This generation had a few different configurations, including standard truck, dump truck, panel van, and regular van. 

The sixth gen Hijet truck and van improved on the Wide 55 in many ways, refining it and making the platform better overall. Most notably, 4WD was introduced to the truck model for the first time, and with that came the off-road focused Climber trim for farmers. The Jumbo-cab truck was also introduced for the first time, which added extra cabin room and is still sold on current models. 

For the van, the passenger focused Atrai trim was introduced for the first time. Atrai models were more comfort focused, including upholstered rear seats, and a more comfortable interior than the cargo-focused vans of previous generations. A turbocharged engine was also offered for the first time in the Hijet range. With the Japanese economy getting into its best state ever, Daihatsu was confident to add additional features to its models to provide better comfort and luxury.

The seventh generation of the Hijet truck started what mini trucks would begin to look like for the following two decades, with a strong focus on utility and off-road capability. Additionally there were more off-road focused trim levels available with higher suspension from the factory. To further off-road capability, diff-lock (locking differentials) was also made available on top-trip models. Dump bed models also came with diff-lock and higher suspension.

The Hijet Van was also updated at the same time and still based on the Hijet truck. The now popular Deck-Van was also introduced in this generation, featuring the van body with a small open-air cargo area behind the 2nd row of seats. As in previous generations, the van could be optioned as a work-focused cargo vehicle or with the comfort-focused Atrai trim for families. The optional “Cosmic Roof” offered panoramic windows along the roof of the vehicle to cater to drivers who wished to make their van into an RV.

The full model change included a new engine, EB, which boasted more power and reliability over its predecessor. The EB engine was offered in turbo and supercharged variants during its production run. Turbo engines were exclusive to van and a Atrai models, the supercharged engine was only available on specific truck models.

The Hijet received a mid-cycle update in 1990 to fit the new regulations that allowed larger engines as well as a larger overall vehicle size. The updated Hijet was 100mm (4”) longer in length, and now has a 660cc engine with higher output. Most of the general trim levels and body options were similar to the 1st edition Truck, Van, and Atrai models.

The 8th gen Hijet truck and van was the first full redesign after kei-class vehicle regulations were changed to allow larger engines and overall size. As a result the Hijet carried over the 660cc EF engine, which was first introduced in 1990, with improved power and efficiency. Additionally an automatic transmission was offered on 4WD trucks for the first time in this generation.

The Hijet Truck continued to offer multiple grades from basic 2WD carriers to the off-road focused Climber, with high suspension and locking differentials. Near the end of the 1990s Daihatsu offered a few special edition Hijet Trucks for sale. Most notably the iZ, with a distinct front end design and additional aero along the sides of the truck. A Super Jumbo cab was also offered, with an extended cab even larger than the Jumbo of the previous generation. Both of which are available now in our inventory as of writing this article.

The Hijet Van continued to be based on the truck, and also came with many of the same features and upgrades as the truck model. Hijet Vans could be configured with 2WD and 4WD, with 2 seats or a second row bench. There was 1,785mm (5' 10") of flat rear cargo space from the front seats to the rear hatch, and 965mm (3' 2 ") from the rear seats to the hatch. Notable features included a rear wiper and central locking doors. From this generation the passenger-focused Atrai became a separate model, rather than a trim level on the Hijet Van, and would then continue to get further and further apart from the Hijet Truck and cargo van models.

In 1999 another round of regulations came to force safety and efficiency standards for kei-class vehicles in Japan. Daihatsu met the challenge and received class-leading safety standards for the Hijet Truck. Fuel efficiency and power were also increased with the introduction of the new “TOPAZ” engine, which allowed the Hijet Cargo van to be classified as a low-emissions vehicle in 2002. Additional variants included trucks and vans that ran on LPG and CNG, a hybrid van, as well as an updated EV van model. By 2002 the engine was updated again to include variable valve timing and a turbo option for van models. Variable Valve Timing engines raised output to a max of 53 ps (52.3 hp). Turbo engined vans had increased torque output to 5.6kg-m (76 lb-ft).

The truck model name was officially changed to “Hijet Truck” in 1999 to mark the new model change. Truck models became longer and wider than the previous generation. In 2000 Daihatsu added some additional sales packages, including an anti-rust package with coating backed by a 5 year rust warranty. Power steering became standard equipment from 2003, and air-conditioning was expanded to more trim levels.

From 1999 the commercially focused van was officially called the “Hijet Cargo” and then the Atrai was based on this but more passenger/family focused. Van models featured updated styling from famous Italian designer Giorgetto Giugiaro. Van models had various shapes and grades available, including the deck-van with an open rear cargo area, and “wellcab” version that could easily load wheelchairs for more accessible transport options.

The Hijet truck received a mid-cycle refresh in 2004 but remained on the same general platform as the S200/210 introduced in 1999. This update continued to offer the TOPAZ engine with class-leading efficiency and power.

The Hijet Truck model was updated inside and out, with refreshed styling of the cab and enhanced features. Silver was added as a factory paint option, in addition to white. The interior was redesigned with better materials, and switches were moved to be closer to the driver for ease of use. The turning radius was also improved for better maneuverability while driving in tight areas.

In 2004 the Hijet Cargo van was completely redesigned and officially built on a separate chassis from the Hijet Truck for the first time. Additionally, manufacturing was moved to Daihatsu’s new facility in Kyushu (close to the office of minitrucks.net!). The new Hijet Cargo van now featured a longer wheelbase, with the front wheels extended in front of the cabin to maximize internal cargo space. The new “semi-cab over'' layout provided best-in-class internal cargo space, with a full 1,860mm (6' 1 1/4") length from the front seats to the rear hatch. Other thoughtful interior upgrades include smaller wheel wells for more legroom, various internal cargo areas within the reach of the driver designed to carry typical items like clipboards, barcode scanners, pens and the like. Hybrid versions continued to be updated and proliferated throughout the life of this generation.

A minor change came to this model in 2017, updating the interior and exterior styling as well as adding various new features to the Hijet Cargo Van. The most notable new features included Smart Assist active driver safety systems, as well as conveniences like proximity keys and push-button start.