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Japanese Mini Kei Trucks

The utilitarian capabilities of the Japanese Mini truck are remarkable, making it one of the most versatile vehicles on the planet. Small enough in stature to fit in the bed of an F-150, but amazingly resilient conquering mountainous terrain as a top notch 4wd drive should.

Everyone wants a mini truck

Are you looking for the perfect utility vehicle or ATV? Well, the Japanese mini truck is the perfect truck for you! Mini trucks are amazing go-anywhere machines that are fun, durable, easy to maintain and extremely affordable (starting at $800 for a good condition 25 year old one and up to more than $5000 for those around 10 years old with dump boxes). They are just one of the handiest vehicles you can find. They are easily maneuverable, sporting 4WD on all makes with hi and low range. These trucks have plenty of power, unbeatable fuel efficiency (avg. 16Kpl / 36.7Mpg), and of course the comfort of a full cab with optional A/C. All makes have fold down sides and rear gates available, so it’s very easy to haul whatever you are loading on or off. The good thing about these pickup trucks is that most of them will haul 12-1500lbs of load. Opposed to a standard utility vehicle, they have much more payload capacity for their size. Fold ‘em down and rock and roll!

Japanese mini trucks that are carbureted can reach 55-60mph, and mini trucks with fuel injectors can get up to 65-70mph. They are supremely versatile and can be converted to anything you are looking for, most commonly, a modified dump truck. Japanese Mini trucks have been popular throughout Asia for decades. Now the rest of the world is waking up to their practical appeal. This is especially true in the United States, Canada, Australia and the UK, where more and more people are importing used mini trucks directly from Japan.

 

Available Kei Truck Models

Popular Japanese mini truck models include the Suzuki Carry, Daihatsu (Toyota) Hijet, Honda Acty, Subaru Sambar, Mitsubishi Minicab, Nissan (Mitsubishi) Clipper and Mazda (Suzuki) Scrum. All models offer high-quality Japanese design and peppy performance for trails and transportation around town. But each mini truck model has its own special characteristics as presented in the following short descriptions of four major models. See our comparison tables of mini trucks below for more details.

Suzuki Carry mini truck JDM kei import export dump rear diff lock

Suzuki Carry

The Suzuki Carry is by far the most popular mini truck and you can easily find secondhand models in pristine condition. It also has the best parts support in the United States, partly because so many of its components are shared with later-model Carrys and other Suzuki vehicles like the Jimny. Lightweight and durable, the Carry is great for off-road work. 4WD is available at all speeds, letting you haul loads and travel fast over rough terrain. The highly reliable engine is centrally mounted beneath the front seats with a transmission geared low for hauling.

Subaru Sambar rear mounted engine 4x4 offroad ac fuel economy

Subaru Sambar

The Subaru Sambar engine is mounted just behind the rear axle, making the ride quieter and less tiring than in mini trucks with engines mounted under the seats. This explains why a major company in Japan exclusively uses Sambars for their delivery vehicles. The rear-heavy design is slightly noticed when cornering fast on wet or snowy roads, but the four-wheel independent suspension helps keep everything under control. The rear engine in these mini trucks also contributes to solid off-road traction. When the going gets rough and you enter first gear, 550cc models conveniently enter 4WD mode without the need to press a button. They switch back to 2WD when you enter second gear.

Honda Acty fully equipped cab radio ac wipers heater haul JDM kei truck read diff lock

Honda Acty

The Honda Acty is quiet and comfortable to drive. It supplies more power than other Japanese mini trucks when traveling uphill at high speed thanks to basically the same reliable engine powering the Honda Beat sports car and Honda Today. As in the Sambar, a rear-mounted engine (just in front of the rear axle) contributes to a quieter ride, less cabin heat in the summer, higher stability when carrying heavy loads and very slight oversteer when cornering fast on roads covered with gravel, rain or snow. Power windows are optional. Parts from 660cc models are often compatible with 550cc models.

Daihatsu Hijet water cooled engine dealer auction Japan JDM kei truck import export

Daihatsu Hijet

The Daihatsu Hijet is comfortable, durable and perfect for hauling loads. In comparison with the Suzuki Carry, it offers slightly more legroom in early to mid-1990s models and a higher sense of luxury overall. But the Hijet also tends to cost a little more. Its three-cylinder water-cooled engine is mounted beneath the front seats and delivers excellent acceleration. Some models are available with options like power steering. Hijet parts are easier to find in the United States than parts for any Japanese mini truck except the Suzuki Carry. Dump truck models are available.

Mitsubishi Mini Cab 4x4 mini truck kei Japan JDM import export

Mitsubishi Minicab

The Mitsubishi Minicab came came into its own from the mid 80’s. Angular headlights became the defining feature of the Minicab’s styling, along with larger windows to improve visibility. A rear wiper, electronic locking rear gate and power brakes were adopted on these mini trucks. Mitsubishi began to offer a wide variety of both FW and 4WD model variations. The next generation Minicab incorporated many class-leading features such as an automatic free wheel hubs adopted on all four-wheel drive models. The estate models featured the first sliding sunroof in their class. Mitsubishi also became the first manufacturer to offer supercharged kei trucks.

Spec Comparison

Honda
Acty HA2
1988-1990
Suzuki (Mazda)
Carry DB51T
1986-1990
Daihatsu (Toyota)
Hijet S81P
1986-1990
Mitsubishi
Mini Cab U15TG
1990-1990
Length 3.25m 10’6″ 3.3m 10’8″ 3.2m 10’5″ 3.2m 10’5″
Width 1.4m 4’6″ 1.4m 4’6″ 1.4m 4’6″ 1.4m 4’6″
Height 1.7m 5’7″ 1.7m 5’7″ 1.7m 5’7″ 1.7m 5’7″
Wheel Base 1.9m 6’2″ 1.8m 6’0″ 1.8m 6’0″ 1.8m 6’0″
Wheel Bolt Pattern 4/100 4/114.3 4/110 4/114.3
Ground Clearance 16cm 6’3″ 17cm 6’7″ 16cm 6’3″ 15cm 5’9″
Drivetrain 4WD 4WD 4WD 4WD
Engine Mid EO5A Inline 3 SOHC Mid F6A Inline 3 SOHC EB water cooled Inline 3 OHC Mid 3G81 Inline 3 OHV
Fuel Injection No No No Optional
Displacement (cc) 540 657 547 548
Horse Power (ps/rpm) 34/5500 38/5500 30/5500 46/6000
Torque (kgm/rpm) 4.5/5000 5.3/4000 4.5/3500 6/4000
Transmission (floor) MT4/MT5 MT4 MT4 MT5
Weight 670kg 1476lbs 680kg 1498lbs 700kg 1542lbs 740kg 1630lbs
Payload Capacity 350kg 770lbs 350kg 770lbs 350kg 770lbs 350kg 770lbs
Power Steering No No No No
Turning Radius 3.8m 12’4″ 4m 13’1″ 3.6m 11’8″ 3.8m 12’4″
Fuel Tank(liter/gallon) 37 9.8 36 9.5 35 9.2 36 9.5
MPG/KPL 47.9 MPG 21.1 KPL 37.6 MPG 16.0 KPL 37.6 MPG 16.0 KPL 37.6 MPG 16.0 KPL
Front Suspension Macpherson Strut Strut Strut/Coil Spring Strut
Rear Suspension Trailing Arm Rigid Axle Rigid Axle/Leaf Spring Half Oval Leaf Spring
Brakes Front/Rear Disk/Drum Disk/Drum Disk/Drum Disk/Drum
Tires 5.00-12-4PR 5.00-12-4PRULT 145R12-6PRLT 145R12-6PR
A/C No No No No

Optional Features on Kei Trucks

Not only are there quite a number of mini truck models that you can import yourself directly from Japan, there are also many options for mini trucks. When we are talking about Japanese mini trucks and we say “options,” we don’t exactly mean the sort of options that you can get on a fancy road car, like a luxury sedan or a high end supercar; we’re not talking leather seats with massage and heat features, we’re not talking cruise control and lane assist, we’re not even talking power steering (although power steering is actually an option on mini trucks, they are not that rough of machines) and we’re not talking cup holders.

When you’re talking mini truck options you are looking at things like a scissors lift and options like the very popular dump bed, perfect for contractors, landscapers, and anybody who often needs to deliver a load of soil or gravel to a tight spot on a project site. You’re looking at four wheel drive, and diff locks and axle locks, which we talk about on our Japan Car Direct blog. We also have a look at extended (jumbo) cabs and the 4-speed vs 5-speed vs automatic transmission question and the mini truck garden option in part two of our post.

Now you’re thinking: “A garden option for a Japanese mini truck?” These JCD guys are pulling my leg. No we’re not, we’re serious. Check it out in the link above, at the very end of the post, and click the link there, too. You’ll love it.

These are the kinds of things that we mean when we are talking about mini truck options and what is available at the used car auctions and the used car dealers here in Japan for direct import to the USA, Canada, the UK, Australia, and other countries (regulations permitting)

Alright, alright, I guess we’ve got to say something about cup holders. Actually, cup holders are kind of an issue in the mini truck fraternity and some of the best minds have been working on it, as you’ll see here, here, and here, over at Mini Truck Talk. One of the best sites, by the way, for people who own or who want to buy a Japanese mini truck.

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The Advantages of Mini Trucks

  • Inexpensive, strong, effective, and versatile, all season utility vehicles
  • Run smoothly on the highway at 90km/hr (55mph)
  • Dimensions: 3.3m/10’8″ long, 1.4m/4’6″ wide, 1.8m/5’9″ high
  • Truck Bed: 1.95m/6’5″ long, 1.4m/4’7″ wide, and 30cm/12″ deep
  • Easy loading and unloading with fold down rear and side gates, and low bed height, (approximately 70cm/28inches).
  • Low ground stress and good torque for climbing, pulling and hauling
  • Only weigh 720kg/1600lbs
  • Bullet proof, liquid cooled 3 or 4 cylinder gasoline engine
  • Excellent gas mileage 17-20km/l (40-44mpg)
  • Perfect for on and off-road use of all kinds: farming, hunting, lake lots, golf courses, campgrounds, construction sites, vineyards, orchards, airports, landscaping, etc.
  • Fully functional, spacious cab for two adults complete with heater, defrost, and optional air conditioning.

Common Uses for Kei Trucks

Families and businesses use mini trucks for transportation and almost any purpose you can imagine at farms, ranches, golf courses, schools, parks, airports, lumber yards, warehouses, factories and campgrounds. Check out the pictures in the gallery below for a peek at some of the great versions available for different uses.

550cc versus 660cc engines

Mini trucks produced before March 1990 have 550cc engines, while those produced later feature 660cc engines. Engines of both displacements deliver more than ample power at low to medium speeds, but later 660cc models provide noticeably more power at high speeds, allowing you to pass vehicles more easily when traveling uphill.

Frequently Asked Questions

Importing used mini trucks from Japan is relatively easy. But each country has different rules on how old the vehicles must be.

The diff lock acts on the rear differential and makes both left and right rear wheels turn together even if one wheel is not in contact with the ground and cannot find traction.

The axle lock button locks the front drive system to the transfer. It’s similar to a free-wheeling hub system that you lock and unlock using the axle lock button in the cab, rather than having to get out of the vehicle to turn the front hub locks manually (as you had to do on the old JA11 Jimnys).

If you put the truck in 4WD High but do not select axle lock to lock the front drive system to the transfer, you will still have only 2WD.

But in a minitruck with 4WD High and 4WD Low and an “axle lock” button, if you select 4WD Low, the front drive system is engaged automatically and you are in 4WD. You do not have to push the axle lock button to have 4WD in low range. If you select 4WD High, however, the front drive system is not engaged unless you have pushed the Axle Lock button.

On the turbo side: Yes, the upgrade is well worth it and you get quite a power boost. You’ll manage loaded hill climbs better and highway runs won’t feel that you’ve got a small engine.

These Suzuki turbos are not too heavily boosted, so the engine still remains a good service engine and not a performance oriented unit. (Although we would say that, in terms of strength and long term reliability, the earlier iron-block, F6A 660cc engine is better than the later K6A 660cc. But the K6A has the advantage that it uses a timing chain and not a timing belt, so it is one less maintenance item to worry about. The K6A in the Kei trucks in also higher output in stock form. It’s six of one and a half dozen of the other.)

Gas mileage is not affected much with a turbo; a bit, yes, but surprisingly little (measured in tenths of a km per liter, not whole kms per liter worse mileage).

Down sides are that you must give the engine time to warm up before driving off or asking it to do hard work. Same with cool down: after a hard run or hard pull, do not just shut it down, let it cool for a minute or two.

Change the oil after 5,000 to 6,000 kms (3,000 to 4,000 miles) and change the filter every second oil change. Do not run old oil in it. And use a decent quality oil. Don’t worry that you have to use an expensive synthetic oil. Nope. Just a decent mineral oil, changed frequently, is all that is required.

If you do all these things, the turbo engine will give long life.

So there’s the lowdown on my experience with turbos. Yep, they are worth it. Just warm/cool/oil and you’re set.

The Jumbo idea for the HiJet came out way back in 1983. Left to right is no bigger in a Jumbo. But the driver’s seat has 4cm more forward/backward slide that the passenger’s seat or the driver’s seat in a regular HiJet.

And, unlike in a regular HiJet, both seats recline backward a bit.

We think that the reason the hunters go for it (which they certainly do up in the mountains here in Japan where you will see a number of the Jumbos when the deer hunters get together) is that behind the seats you’ve got space for a rifle, coils of rope, radio tracker set for the dogs, and other items that you need to keep dry and cannot store in the load bed. In the non-jumbos, interior dry storage space for equipment is at a premium.

The load bed, front to rear, is smaller, though.

Here is a link from Daihatsu’s site that show you some pictures of the interior of a Jumbo, as well as other pics. http://www.daihatsu.co.jp/lineup/truck/detail.htm

With the addition of Electronic Fuel Injection to the Daihatsu 660cc motor you’ll get a boost up in power of about 5% over the carbureted unit. Gas mileage goes up a touch, too, but we don’t have any figures.

Both carb and EFI are reliable systems. Carb is easier to fix and tends to give early warning signs when it is starting to have trouble (rough idling, hesitation, etc.). Electronic fuel injection systems can suddenly cut out without warning or can suddenly rev up if a sensor goes wonky but such problems are amazingly rare on a Japanese-built EFI system built anytime after the early to mid 1980s. They are very reliable, but when the time for servicing comes, if it ever comes, you’ll need to ask a proper garage to help you. Home service of a carburetor is more possible as it is a less technology intensive system by its very nature. (Not less complex, though.)

Either of these two systems, carb or EFI, are fine.

The Twin Cam arrangement does not add any more power, interestingly enough, but I suspect it gives better top end power at the expense of a slight loss in low end torque. The Twin Cam engines have 4-valves per cylinder whereas the Single Over Head Cam engines have 2-valves per cylinder. Again, I don’t have solid figures, just going on basic principles of piston engines, 2-valve vs 4-valve systems.

The Distributor Less Ignition (DLI), is a fully electronic ignition system. Similar to EFI in its use of higher technology, it will be less easy to service yourself with just a screwdriver and wrench, but it is also more reliable, gives better gas mileage, and has a longer service life.

Really, it’s a matter of choice as to do you want simple, old school stuff, carbs and distributors and a minimum number of cam shafts, or do you want the more high tech stuff. Of course, the simple type of engines are not being made by many (or any) makers today, so at some point in the far future parts will not be available. Of course the same could happen to high tech systems that get superseded by other, newer high tech systems. But whichever way you go, these minitrucks are all solid characters and will last well and do their job for you fully and we won’t be facing parts issues for years and years yet.