Toyota Hiace Station Wagon Is Too Cool for School
Incredibly cool and surprisingly luxurious Japanese market Toyota van has us green with envy.
When you think of station wagons, you probably envision something like that massive old wood paneled beast your parents drove in the ’70s. A giant, boring, hulking box that wasn’t fun to drive or particularly exciting to look at. But in Japan, the words station wagon mean something altogether different. They symbolize cool stuff like this rather van-like 1989 Toyota Hiace station wagon that we found over at Mecum.
OK, so by our definition, this is most certainly a van. But arguing over those kind of semantics would be akin to ignoring the elephant in the room. And that is the fact that this Toyota is incredibly cool. For starters, it’s a Japanese-only model with a mere 33,000 miles (53,000 kilometers) showing on the odometer. And it uses a freaking turbo diesel for power. How awesome is that?
Of course, being an ’80s machine means that you have to have those futuristic looking “turbo” logos everywhere. And this van does, along with some super cool stripes to break them up. It’s also surprisingly luxurious for something from this era. Goodies like dual electric moonroofs, front and rear air conditioning, and power privacy curtains add a touch of class. And 2nd row swivel captain’s chairs and a power reclining 3rd row sofa bed ensure that all your passengers are quite comfy, too.
The only obvious modifications here are some lowering coils. And, of course, the ever popular ’90s staple that is hammer style wheels. And now, thanks to the wonders of the gray market, somebody else is going to get a shot at driving this uniquely Japanese Toyota on American roads. We just hope they resist the urge to slap some fake wood applique on the sides!
