Although the rest of the world has had access to a new generation of the Toyota HiAce minivan lineup for six years now, Japan still makes do with the lighter and more compact 22-year-old variant. It has now been facelifted and upgraded with handy modern electronic assists, suggesting that the lifecycle is not over yet.
On the outside, headlights stacked with DRLs are just about the only distinguishing feature of the new version. It’s inside the cabin where most novelty takes place. For one thing, the infotainment system is finally included in the base spec. It’s still a fairly small one with an 8-inch touchscreen display, and the digital dashboard is even smaller at 7 inches diagonal size.
The front seats can now be heated for a premium, and Toyota finally ships the HiAce with its crucial Safety Sense package included as standard. It features adaptive cruise control, road markup and sign recognition, and an emergency brake system that can distinguish between pedestrians, cyclists and bikers for precise reaction.
As before, customers in Japan get to choose between a 2.0-liter petrol engine rated at 160 PS (158 hp / 118 kW) and a 2.8-liter diesel one with 151 PS (149 hp / 111 kW). The transmission is six-speed automatic in both cases, but you can choose a drive configuration that suits you best. Prices start from ¥2.86 million and reach ¥4.683 million with all options ticked.
