In the 1960s, Toyota’s designers tackled a challenge that they hadn’t yet: Design a vehicle with a lot of interior space, enough to carry up to eight passengers. Japanese law strictly regulated the length of vehicles, which presented the designers with a problem. They concluded that having the engine in the front, as was common at the time, ate up too much footprint to fulfill the mandate. So they opted for a cabover design, placing the engine beneath the driver.
The result was the 1967 Toyota HiAce (pronounced “high ace”):
Side note: The HiAce came standard with a heater—which was considered a luxury at the time!
Shown above is the “Wagon” model, which can carry six. A stretched Commuter version could fit eight people:
They also spun off a truck version, which was offered in a longbed format…
…a shortbed with a back seat…
…and a box truck configuration:
The HiAce sold well, and the design continued to evolve over the years.
1972 HiAce
1982 HiAce
1989 HiAce
2004 HiAce
Its passenger vehicle roots aside, the HiAce became extremely popular in Japan with tradespeople and businesses. It was reliable and offered (comparatively speaking) tons of storage space, a draw for carpenters, electricians, plumbers and contractors. What the Sprinter van is to Europe, and what the Ford Transit is to America, the HiAce is to Japan.
The 2019 update switched the design from cabover to engine-forward, due to evolving safety standards.
2021 HiAce. Image: User3204, CC BY 4.0
Now Toyota’s unveiled their concept for the next generation of HiAces. As you can see by the paint job, they’re leaning into the tradespeople market.
They’re also teasing a taller version with more headspace.
This configuration lacks a passenger seat. Coupled with the lack of a B-pillar on the passenger side, this provides an incredible amount of access:
The HiAce concept was unveiled at the currently-running 2025 Japan Mobility Show, and at press time, Toyota had not yet issued a press release with details.