Made to order, full of features despite being compact, mini trucks have their own interesting features.
In most countries around the world, pickup trucks are usually built on a car chassis, with a cargo box behind the cabin. That means the user has all the comforts of a passenger car, and has the added capacity of carrying around a ton of cargo. But the Japanese do it a little differently.
In the 1970s, customers in Japan had few options for rear-loading trucks. Subaru Brat, Datsun Sunny, Mazda B1600 and Toyota Hilux are those names. All have high value in today's market.
For customers buying new pickup trucks in Japan, there are two main options: very large or very small. Mini vans are basically classic in style and are usually keicars - meaning they're economical and most can only carry around 800 kg.
Many custom pickups have wide body panels and low ground clearance, so the rear trunk is also low, making loading and unloading easier.
Many models of keicar trucks at the Osaka auto show 2022 come from Sho Produce. The tuning company is headquartered in Himeji, Harima Prefecture, specializes in providing all components, from body kits, brakes, suspension and rims for most popular pickup models today.
Some of the "exceptions" at the show are the large Dodge Ram and Ford F150 models from the US. These products are less popular in Japan, but someone still likes a little challenge when driving American "dinosaurs" through narrow streets.
Cars and trucks in the keicar segment both use engines of the same displacement and must comply with strict size regulations.
This Daihatsu Hijet is a classic because it was manufactured in 1960. Pictured is the S65 version with 1980s headlights.This engine on the Suzuki Carry pickup model, is a 4-stroke, 1.3-liter capacity taken from the Suzuki Hayabusa superbike.
A custom pickup with a metallic gold body is one of the highlights of this year's Osaka Auto Messe.
