It’s a flurry of reveals from Toyota at this year’s Japan Mobility Show (JMS). Even the Hiace gets its time in the spotlight with a new that likely previews the next generation of the brand’s multi-role commercial vehicle. With a design that looks to be inspired by the Kayoibako concept from the previous JMS two years ago, the Hiace concept sports a nearly flat face with an upper U-shaped signature lighting and pixel-themed fog lamps in the bottom corners of the front bumper. A rakish windscreen leads into a boxy body shape, the latter to be expected given the need to maximise interior space for carrying goods of various sizes. To make it look less humdrum, the Hiace concept gets front side windows that are almost teardrop-shaped that not only look different from most vans, but serve to improve visibility. As for the rear side windows, they take up less real estate compared to the current Hiace, occupying only a small area just below the flat roof and wrapping around the rear. This looks to be the standard look, regardless of whether the use case is moving goods or transporting patients, the latter represented by a variant with a higher roof that appears to be for elderly care. Another difference from today’s Hiace is the lack of a pillar on one side of concept (left in the case of the cargo-focused example), which makes it immensely more convenient to load or unload items with the front and sliding rear door opened. A modular system also enables the interior and parts of the exterior to be reconfigured in a number of ways to suit various needs. Moving inside, it’s all very utilitarian, with a simple dashboard that houses controls for key functions like gear selection and air-conditioning. A two-spoke steering wheel sports more controls, while at the front of the dashboard is a full-width display that appears not very ergonomic to be a touchscreen. All that screen space is likely meant to be used with a companion app to display additional information like navigation or delivery details. No word on powertrains, but we imagine Toyota will be looking at various options, be it electric or something more conventional. Other details like when we’ll see a production version or a market launch date are not available for now. Compare prices between different insurer providers to save the most on your car insurance renewal compared to other competing services. Many payment method supported and you can pay with instalment using Grab PayLater or Shopee SPayLater.
