The Toyota Hiace
The U.S. got the Hiace briefly in the 1980s, only to have it discontinued a few years after its launch. Minivans simply outpaced demand for traditional ladder-frame vans, even though Toyota outsold other Japanese rivals in the segment.
Built on the bones of another legendary Toyota (also not found stateside), the Hilux, other parts of the world get to enjoy the robust reliability that the Toyota Hiace delivers. In parts of Europe and Asia, the Hiace is a household name, and it’s getting a major overhaul soon, Japan’s Response reports.
The new Hiace is known around the world as a commercial van, passenger van, and even as a luxury MPV – similar to yet another luxury minivan the U.S. doesn’t get, the Alphard. What we do get is the Toyota Sienna, which is a close-enough model for families looking for a minivan. The key difference is that the Hiace is body-on-frame, which makes it more robust than the Sienna.
Toyota
New Design
Japanese sources are reporting new developments regarding the Hiace, including an expected redesign and overhaul of its platform. There are two series currently in service: the H200, with its mid-ship driver-on-top-of-the-engine layout, and the H300, the one with the nose. The new platform will be built on the H300.
The Hiace Concept, first unveiled at the 2025 Japan Mobility Show, features a newly developed platform, a futuristic exterior, and a short hood. Back in 2019, when the H300 series of Hiaces were released, the hood and the repositioning of the engine were done in the name of safety, NVH insulation, and driving stability at low and high speeds. Toyota will do the same for the new platform moving forward, with further improvements.
In Japan, the exterior design of the new Hiace will be slightly different. It’s said that the model’s nose will be shorter in its home country to create a familiar image for Japanese buyers. Furthermore, there will be a wide range of sizes available in the Hiace lineup, and we could still see cargo, passenger, touring, and luxury variants of the model making the rounds in several markets.
Jacob Oliva/Autoblog
Hybrid Tech
In its current form, the Hiace came with either a four-cylinder gasoline engine with a 2.0 to 2.7-liter displacement or a 2.4 to 2.8-liter turbo-diesel option. Depending on the market, the Toyota outfit in that locale might favor gasoline or diesel more, and they have the option to go with either. However, for the new Hiace, sources indicate that we may see a 2.0- and 2.5-liter gasoline engine paired with an electric motor, making it a hybrid.
The powertrain will be similar to the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, featuring a 2.5-liter four-cylinder hybrid that produces about 236 horsepower. Sources claim the new Hiace could produce up to about 220 horsepower.
All that means is more MPGs and better torque delivery. The question is, will the hybrid stack up? Given that diesel variants of the Hiace are preferred by many buyers, will the electric motors be able to keep up with this big van? We shall see soon, I hope.
Jacob Oliva/Autoblog
