When purchasing a car, you can choose an OEM vehicle. The mini trucks are available in two varieties: Suzuki Carry and Daihatsu Hijet Truck, and each has its own OEM vehicle.
The OEM vehicles by manufacturer are as follows;
Mitsubishi: Suzuki Carry Truck
Subaru: Daihatsu Hijet Truck
Toyota: Daihatsu Hijet Truck
Nissan: Suzuki Carry Truck
Mazda: Suzuki Carry Truck
Recent trends in mini trucks
In addition to using mini trucks for business purposes, more and more people are customizing them for fun. mini trucks are being chosen to be customized to suit the outdoors, or as the base vehicle for camper vans. Not only can you dress up the interior and exterior, but you can also modify them to improve usability, making them your own unique car.
Characteristics of mini trucks by manufacturer
Here are the characteristics of mini trucks by manufacturer. Some vehicles are sold through OEM, but there are also several models that were produced in-house before the switch.
Suzuki
The first generation of Suzuki’s Carry Truck has been on the market since 1961. It is a long-selling vehicle because it has undergone repeated model changes to match changes in the standards for light vehicles and is still on sale today.
The current model is the 11th model, released in 2013. Since 2018, the large cab Super Carry has also been released, so there are more options for those looking for a spacious interior.
Daihatsu
The Hijet Truck has been on the market since 1960, making it the oldest model in the Daihatsu vehicle and light vehicle truck and cargo genres that are sold as new cars. The current model is the 10th generation model, which has been on the market since 2014. In particular, it is characterized by the addition of a CVT vehicle during the minor change in 2021.
Honda
Honda sold the Acty Truck, but sales ended in April 2021. The Acty Truck was the only mini truck with a midship layout, but sales have been discontinued due to the shrinking market for mini trucks.
Due to its rare layout, the Acty Truck was sometimes called the “NSX of farm roads.” The successor to the light van is the N-VAN, but Honda has not released a mini truck model.
Mitsubishi
Mitsubishi Motors sells minicab trucks, which are actually long-selling mini trucks with a history of 55 years. When it underwent a full model change in 2014, it was supplied by Suzuki on an OEM basis and was no longer developed in-house.
Mitsubishi does not sell the large cab Super Cab as a minicab truck.
Subaru
Subaru released the Sambar Truck. It was produced in-house from 1961 to 2012, but after that it became an OEM vehicle for the Daihatsu Hijet Truck.
The Sambar Truck, which was produced in-house, was a model that was sometimes called the Porsche of farm roads because it had a rear engine with the engine under the rear end floor. The lineup also included Akabou-exclusive vehicles used for transporting mini trucks.
Toyota
The Pixis Truck has been sold as an OEM vehicle for the Hijet Truck since 2011. It is basically similar to the Hijet Truck.
Nissan
The mini trucks sold by Nissan were launched in 2003 as the Clipper Truck. At the time of launch, they were sold as an OEM of Mitsubishi’s Minicab. Since 2013, Mitsubishi has withdrawn from the light commercial vehicle market, so they have been sold as an OEM of Suzuki’s Carry.
Mazda
Mazda has been selling mini trucks since 1989, using Suzuki’s Carry as an OEM. The current model has been on sale since 2013, and has been changed from a semi-cab-over type to a cab-over type.