Daihatsu Atrai and Atrai Wagon kei vans imported from Japan. Every Atrai here is either in Houston now or on its way from Japan and available to reserve.
Read our Atrai buyer's guide: Atrai vs. Atrai Wagon vs. Hijet Cargo, the turbo and non-turbo engines, 4WD and grades.
The Atrai is the passenger version of Daihatsu's Hijet van. Daihatsu has used the name since 1981 for the better-trimmed Hijet one-box sold to private buyers, and in June 1999 it added the Atrai Wagon, a kei van registered as a passenger car, with a sliding, reclining rear seat, three-point rear belts and a safety body. The 1999-on Atrai and Hijet Cargo were styled by Giorgetto Giugiaro's Italdesign, which is why the big irregular-shaped headlamps look the way they do. Every Atrai is a 660cc kei vehicle: 3.4 m (11 ft) long, 1.48 m (58 in) wide, with four seats, sliding doors on both sides, a walk-through front cabin and a flat cargo floor, and the turbo versions carry a real 4-speed automatic. None were ever sold in the United States. The cab-over 1994–1999 Atrai is fully eligible to import today, and the 1999-on van and Atrai Wagon qualify for builds through December 2001.
What makes the Atrai different
A kei van with car features. Sliding rear doors on both sides, a rear bench that slides and reclines, column shift and a foot parking brake for a walk-through cabin, and on 1999-on Atrai Wagons Daihatsu's TAF safety body with dual airbags on the Custom Turbo.
The EF-DET turbo. A 659cc twin-cam, intercooled turbo three-cylinder making 64 PS and 100 N·m, paired with a 4-speed automatic or 5-speed manual: the strongest combination you can get in a kei van of this age.
Full-time 4WD on 1999-on models. A viscous coupling sends drive to the front wheels when the rears slip; nothing to switch (details below).
Hijet parts. Everything mechanical is shared with the Hijet Cargo and Hijet truck, and the EF engine family also served the Mira, Move, Opti and Terios Kid, so belts, filters and ignition parts are easy to source.
Which Atrais can be imported
U.S. rules let a vehicle that was never sold here be imported once it's at least 25 years old, counted from its month and year of manufacture. In 2026 that means Atrais built in 2001 or earlier:
Code (2WD / 4WD)
Years
Body
Engines
Transmissions
S120V / S130V
Jan 1994 – Jan 1999
Cab-over hi-roof van (Hijet S100 based), 1,395 mm wide, 4 seats
659cc EF 3-cylinder, 44 PS; EF-TS SOHC intercooled turbo (1994–96) or EF-RS DOHC intercooled turbo (1997–99), 64 PS
5-speed manual or 3-speed automatic
S220V / S230V
Jan 1999 – end 2001
Semi-cab van, 1,475 mm wide, commercial registration
659cc EF-VE DOHC with DVVT variable timing, 48 PS; EF-DET DOHC intercooled turbo, 64 PS and 100 N·m
The letters before the hyphen (V-, GD-, GM-, GF-) are Japanese emissions codes, and they matter here: the prefix changed to TA- in January 2002, so a "GF-S220G" built in 2001 is eligible while a "TA-S220G" isn't until 2027 or later. The Atrai 7 (S221G/S231G, July 2000 on) is a stretched, 1.3-liter, seven-seat spin-off registered outside the kei class, also sold as the Toyota Sparky; 2000–2001 builds are eligible too.
2WD or 4x4?
The 2WD Atrai is rear-wheel drive with the engine under the front seats, and for a van that mostly sees pavement, yards and flat ground it's the lighter, cheaper and slightly more economical choice. On the 1999-on S230V and S230G the 4WD is full-time, with a rotation-sensing viscous coupling that sends drive to the front axle automatically; there's no lever, no switch and no low range, so it's an all-weather system for wet roads, gravel and grass rather than a mud setup. The 1994–1999 S130V mostly used lever-selected part-time 4WD. Ground clearance is 160 mm (6.3 in), or 155 mm on the lowered Aero Down Billet. If you need low range in a kei package, a Hijet truck or another kei van may suit better. Within the engines, the 48 PS EF-VE with the 3-speed automatic is a 55–60 mph vehicle; the 64 PS turbo with the 4-speed automatic is the one with highway reserve.
Versions you'll see
1994–1999 Atrai: LX, MX and MX Turbo, the SR (top turbo with ABS), the Riverno with its "Twin Cosmic Roof" glass roof, the value-grade Appare, the RT and RT Turbo and the 1997–99 Classic and Classic Turbo with leather interior and keyless entry.
1999–2001 Atrai van: CL hi-roof, and until January 2001 the Custom and Custom Turbo roll-roof vans.
Atrai Wagon CL / CX and Touring Turbo: the hi-roof grades (1,865 mm / 73 in tall). The CL became the CX and the CL Turbo became the Touring Turbo with alloys and a rear spoiler for 2001; the May 2001 Touring Turbo Memorial Edition was the last special with a 5-speed.
Atrai Wagon Custom and Custom Turbo: the "American-style" lower roof with roof rails (1,820–1,830 mm, 1,775 mm on the 2000–01 low roof), with an electric sunroof option from February 2000 and an S Edition with upgraded audio from September 2000.
Aero Down Billet (from May 2000): the lowered aero-kit version on 14-inch wheels, turbo or naturally aspirated.
Yoshinobu Takahashi Version (July 2000): a special edition tied to the Yomiuri Giants outfielder.
Any Atrai that's in Houston can be inspected and test driven at our lot.
Questions buyers ask
Can I title and register an Atrai in Texas? Since September 1, 2025, Texas law (SB 1816) lets kei vehicles be titled and registered as "miniature vehicles." Our Texas title and registration guide walks through the paperwork. Other states have their own rules, so check with yours before you buy.
Atrai, Atrai Wagon or Hijet Cargo? Same body and mechanicals. The Hijet Cargo is the plain commercial van, the Atrai is the better-trimmed van, and the Atrai Wagon is the passenger-car version with the sliding, reclining rear seat and the safety equipment. In Texas the registration difference means nothing; pick by trim and condition.
Will it keep up on the highway? The 64 PS turbo with the 4-speed automatic or 5-speed will hold 60–65 mph; the 48 PS engine with the 3-speed automatic works hard above 55. Like every 660cc kei vehicle it's happiest on local roads. Daihatsu's Japanese test-cycle figures ran from 14 km/L (33 mpg) for a 4WD turbo automatic to 16.4 km/L (39 mpg) for a 2WD turbo manual, on regular unleaded from a 46-liter (12 gal) tank.
How many seats, and how much space? Four seats in two rows. With the rear bench folded the cargo floor is about 1,670 mm (66 in) long, 1,310 mm (52 in) wide and up to 1,295 mm (51 in) tall in a hi-roof.
Timing belt or chain? Belt, on every EF engine.
Is the odometer in miles? No. Japanese vehicles read in kilometers, and our listings show the odometer in km. 1 km is about 0.62 miles.
Is it right-hand drive? Yes, like every Japanese-market kei vehicle.
Can I buy one that's still on its way from Japan? Yes. Reserve an In Transit Atrai with a $1,000 deposit. See how buying works.
