CC’s Jerome Solberg apparently was in Japan recently, as he posted some finds on his Flickr page. What grabbed my attention was this 4×4 Suzuki Every Wagon; you know how I love tall, small boxy vehicles, right? And like to do a bit of off-roading? And like to be miserly with fuel? This is the perfect combination of both.
This picture from the web makes it easier to take in the whole (little) thing. 94″ wheelbase. 134″ overall length; that’s 25″ less than the wheelbase of my Promaster. This would make a perfect dinghy to tow behind it.
Plenty of ground clearance under that solid rear axle. It’s a kei van, so its powered by a 657 cc triple, in naturally aspirated or turbo version. I’ll take mine with the 5-speed manual, please.
A huge back seat. And check out the ’70’s upholstery! Reminds me of my ’77 Chinook. And with the back folded, or out, there’s a huge amount of room in there. Perfect for turning into a micro-van camper.
If only it was available now, instead of having to wait 25 years.
Jerome also shot this row of Suzukis at a dealer; the front is a truck, then two Every Wagons, and then two Jimnys. I could do a bit of tire kicking here…
Wow. I can see why you want this. It takes everything you like about your x-box and turns it up to eleven. It’s brilliant, really. Maximum utility and efficiency in the same package.
Why the 25 years? Statute of limitations on size/safety/emissions non-complince?
Looks interesting, but I wonder how it looks on it’s side. A tip over seems highly likely with operating it off road.
Our wait period is 15 years in Canada. On the JDM import sites they do have a Toyota Hiace van with 4WD. Weird!
https://b-pro.ca/car/2003-toyota-hiace-van-long-super-gl-e-diesel-97133-km/
Here’s a 4WD Kei van:
https://minitrucks.net/collections/vehicles/products/1996-mitsubishi-minicab-bravo-4wd
These were the most interesting “every-day” vehicles I saw on my trip. As others have noted, very few older vehicles in Japan because of the various laws which make it difficult for such vehicles to pass inspection. The most variety of vehicles seem to be in the kei-car class, perhaps because they are more unique to that market, as well as being subject to fewer regulations.
Thanks for posting these photos, Paul, and for the earlier posts as well!
Cute lil box.
The tires are interesting. Buckshot “mudders” were a popular bias ply mud tire back in the seventies, maybe even earlier, when there weren’t many name brand mud-terrain tires. The Taiwanese company Maxxis has a licensing agreement with the American company that sold the Buckshot; perhaps they even manufacture all versions of the tire. It definitely has a retro tread pattern. Maxxis, part of Cheng Shin Tire, is probably a second or third tier manufacturer of car/truck tires but they’re considered #1 for mountain bike tires. In fact it’s rumored that some pro MTB racers with contracts with other tire companies will use Maxxis tires in wet conditions, with the other company’s sticker on the sidewalls. There’s a lot of mud in Taiwan.
Maxxis also has been an OE supplier of compact spares for years, most commonly GM.
How does the size compare to your xB?
That has to be the most snub-nosed vehicle I’ve ever seen.
The last picture, the truck in front is an Daihatsu, no Suzuki.
Could have one now if they met safety regs required a lot of JDM vehicles dont Lots of these things land here but off road use only they cant be complied