Daihatsu has launched an all-new generation of Hijet into the local car market in its home country of Japan. The new Hijet Cargo also gets a passenger car version that listens to the name Atrai.
The Daihatsu Hijet is not unknown in the Netherlands. Daihatsu supplied a minuscule commercial vehicle with that name in Europe for years. Daihatsu is no longer active in our corner of the world, but the brand still sells various models in large parts of Asia. In Japan, Daihatsu has several kei cars on its menu, including the Hijet and its passenger car version Atrai. For the first time since 2004, these two have been helped to a completely new generation, although you might not immediately say that based on the appearance.
The new Hijet family of the eleventh generation consists of the Hijet Cargo and the Atrai. From 2014, Daihatsu of the previous generation Hijet also supplied a Hijet Truck version, which is an open body variant. It will remain in its old form for a while. The Hijet Cargo and the Atrai have been updated down to the last detail and are now based on Daihatsu’s DNGA (Daihatsu New Global Architecture) platform. The Hijet Cargo and the Atrai are again incredibly angular and relatively simple space wonders. The pair are 3.39 meters long and have a wheelbase of 2.45 meters. Under the hood is a 658 cc small three-cylinder that is available with and without a turbo. Shifting is done with a manual five-speed gearbox or with a CVT.
Daihatsu Hijet
The Japanese entrepreneur will have to wait a little longer for the new Hijet Truck, but just like the previous generation Hijet Cargo, there is – just like the Atrai – a version with a cut open back. The Hijet Cargo ‘Deck Van’ has a cut-open back where Daihatsu has placed a cargo box. The body is 88 centimeters deep, 1.36 meters wide and the side walls are 61 centimeters high. Daihatsu, please come back to Europe.
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl