Daihatsu cars from Japan

Daihatsu is Toyota's small-car subsidiary and one of Japan's main kei-car makers. Its auction stock is mostly kei vehicles: the Mira, Move and Tanto cars, the Hijet truck and the Hijet Cargo van. These are among the lowest-cost cars to buy and ship from Japan.

Kei vehicles have engines of 660cc or less and are built to Japanese kei size limits. They suit city use and light commercial work. Check rust on the underbody and load bed of trucks, and confirm your country allows kei vehicles on the road before buying.

Japan's shaken roadworthiness inspection (first at three years, then every two) and the country's low average annual mileage mean many cars reach auction with a documented history and modest kilometres for their age.

Daihatsu also builds kei vehicles sold under other badges in Japan. The Toyota Pixis Truck and Pixis Van are based on the Hijet, and the Subaru Sambar has been a rebadged Hijet since 2012, so it is worth searching under all three names when you want more choice at auction. Older Hijet trucks are popular with US buyers once they pass the 25-year import mark, while newer ones suit farms and small businesses in RHD markets such as Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and the Pacific islands. The Move and Tanto are tall-roof kei cars aimed at families and city drivers, and the Mira e:S was designed for low fuel consumption.

Our catalog prices run from about $1,500–$4,500 FOB for a 1990s Hijet truck and $2,000–$5,000 for a Mira e:S, Move or Tanto, to $2,500–$7,000 for a Hijet Cargo van. Kei cars at auction usually carry grades of 3 to 4.5. Our country guides list the Mira among popular imports in right-hand-drive markets including Bhutan and Indonesia, and the kei trucks guide compares the Hijet with the other Japanese kei trucks.

We track 3 Daihatsu models from model years 1994 to 2020. Recent Japanese auction prices run from about $1,500 to $7,000 FOB, depending on model, grade and mileage (estimates, as of 2026-07-06).