In 2009, the Daihatsu Hijet did something no other kei truck had managed in 39 years — it took the sales crown away from the Suzuki Carry. The S200P/S210P generation, in production from January 1999, was the truck that did it. If you’ve only considered the Carry or the Acty so far, this is the third major brand worth understanding properly before you commit.
S200P vs S210P — 2WD and 4WD of the same generation
S200P is the 2WD chassis; S210P is the 4WD version of the same ninth-generation Hijet, both starting production in January 1999. The S210P was mechanically updated partway through its run but kept the same chassis designation until it became the S211P in late 2007. For most import buyers today, the distinction that matters is simply 2WD vs 4WD — confirm the chassis code on the compliance plate to know which you’re looking at.
Green flag
The entire S200P/S210P production run, starting January 1999, has been progressively becoming US-eligible since 2024. If you’re shopping this generation now, eligibility is not the constraint — finding a clean example is.
The belt-not-chain reality — the single biggest thing to understand
Every Daihatsu Hijet engine across every generation uses a timing belt, not a chain. This includes the EF-SE and EF-VE found in the S200P/S210P. This is a genuine, meaningful difference from both the Suzuki Carry (K6A and R06A, both chain-driven) and the Honda Acty (E07Z, chain-driven).
This is not a reason to avoid the Hijet — a properly maintained timing belt is entirely manageable, and the OEM belt kit (part number 13514-87215) is well stocked by specialists like Yokohama Motors. But it does mean your maintenance budget and schedule need to account for belt-and-water-pump replacement at the correct interval, something a Carry or Acty owner never has to think about.
Walk away if…
Any used Hijet where the seller cannot confirm whether the timing belt has ever been changed. This is an interference engine — a belt failure bends valves. On any S200P/S210P with unknown service history, budget for an immediate belt-and-water-pump kit regardless of what the odometer shows.
Full engine details — specs, maintenance schedule, and the complete belt service breakdown — are on the EF-SE/EF-VE engine page.
What actually fails — it’s usually electrical, not the engine
Owner reports and the factory service manual both point to the same pattern across this generation: the most common Hijet problems are electrical — sensors, relays, and wiring — rather than the engine itself. A Hijet that runs rough, stalls intermittently, or throws a check-engine light is more often a sensor or relay issue than anything internally wrong with the EF-SE/EF-VE.
This is genuinely useful diagnostic context. A buyer or new owner chasing a rough-idle complaint on a Hijet should check the ignition coil and common sensor failure points before assuming the worst about the engine itself.
Check at inspection
If a used Hijet has intermittent rough running, ask whether the ignition coil has been replaced. It is the single most common electrical failure item on this generation and a cheap first check before assuming anything more serious.
Known problems to check for
The Climber — Daihatsu’s diff-lock trim
The Climber is Daihatsu’s off-road agricultural grade, carried over from earlier Hijet generations — the direct equivalent of the Suzuki Carry Nōhan and the Honda Acty Attack. It combines 4WD with a locking rear differential and elevated suspension, built for farmers and operators working rough terrain.
Not every S210P is a Climber — confirm the specific trim badge and auction sheet details before assuming a 4WD Hijet has the locker. The same buyer-education principle that applies to the Carry and Acty applies here: 4WD alone does not mean diff-lock.
Check at inspection
Confirm “Climber” trim specifically on the auction sheet or compliance documentation — a standard 4WD Hijet without this trim designation will have an open differential, just like a non-Nōhan Carry or non-Attack Acty.
Hijet vs Carry vs Acty — the three-way decision
All three platforms are capable, well-proven kei trucks. The real differences are maintenance profile and parts ecosystem, not raw capability:
The Suzuki Carry (K6A/R06A) and Honda Acty (E07Z) are both chain-driven — no scheduled belt service. The Daihatsu Hijet (EF-SE/EF-VE) is belt-driven across every generation, meaning a recurring maintenance cost the other two don’t have.
The Acty’s mid-engine layout trades maintenance ease for better handling balance. The Carry and Hijet are both front-engine, conventionally accessible.
Parts availability is widest for the Suzuki Carry, followed by the Acty, with the Hijet sitting in between — Yokohama Motors and minitruckgarage.com provide solid US support, but the network is narrower than Suzuki’s.
Green flag
If platform feel and the Hijet’s specific cab layout appeal to you, there is no mechanical reason to avoid it in favor of a Carry or Acty. Just budget for the timing belt service that the chain-driven alternatives don’t require.
Related pages
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is the Daihatsu Hijet S200P/S210P eligible to import to the USA?
- Yes. Production ran from January 1999, and the entire S200P/S210P run has been progressively eligible under the US 25-year rule since 2024. The earlier the build month, the longer it has been eligible — check the specific compliance plate date.
- What is the difference between S200P and S210P?
- S200P is the 2WD Hijet truck; S210P is the 4WD version of the same ninth-generation chassis, produced from 1999 to 2007 before being updated to the S211P designation. Both share the same EF-SE/EF-VE engine family.
- Does the Daihatsu Hijet have a differential lock?
- The Climber trim, Daihatsu's off-road agricultural grade carried over from earlier generations, includes a locking rear differential and elevated suspension. It is the Daihatsu equivalent of the Suzuki Nōhan and Honda Acty Attack — not every S210P has it, so confirm the specific trim before buying for off-road capability.
- Does the Hijet use a timing belt or timing chain?
- A timing belt. Every Daihatsu Hijet engine across every generation — including the EF-SE and EF-VE in the S200P/S210P — uses a belt-driven camshaft, not a chain. This is a genuine maintenance difference from the Suzuki Carry (K6A/R06A, both chains) and the Honda Acty (E07Z, chain). Budget for scheduled belt replacement regardless of what the seller claims.
- How does the Hijet compare to the Suzuki Carry and Honda Acty?
- Mechanically capable and well-supported, but with a different maintenance profile: the Hijet's timing belt needs scheduled replacement where the Carry and Acty's chains do not. Owner reports also indicate the Hijet's most common issues are electrical (sensors, relays) rather than engine-related. Choose the Hijet for its own platform feel and parts ecosystem, not because it is mechanically superior to the alternatives.
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