Your guide to low-volume Japanese import cars

More than 30 years have passed since Australia saw its first ‘grey imports’ arriving from Japan and other places, and today the list of available cars has grown immensely as fresh models are approved under new regulations.

The 1990s were difficult years for anyone selling cars, with value for money high on the list of buyer enticements.

Owning something different was equally attractive and growing numbers of big inner-city car yards began devoting space to low-volume import models with strange lettering on the windows and even stranger names.

Soarer, Silvia, Surf, Cosmos, Familia and Beat were some of the designations that would become familiar to people who pored over the midweek car classifieds in pre-internet days in search of something different.

New Zealand had already experienced the rush of imports and initially welcomed an influx of relatively modern vehicles which helped diminish NZ’s reliance on rusty 1960s models.

Australian politicians were at the time also waging war on older cars, but not because our car parc was in a generally awful condition; their aim was to boost sales of new vehicles and collect all the lovely tax generated by such transactions.

Cheap imports provided a viable alternative to new cars but didn’t contribute nearly as much to revenue, so regulations were drafted and legislation enacted to put a lid on the import trade.

Adopted in 2001, the Specialist and Enthusiast Vehicle Scheme (SEVS) limited the numbers and types of vehicles that could be privately imported. Among its specific targets were ex-Japanese 4WD models like the very popular Toyota HiLux Surf, which was seriously hurting sales in the used off-roader segment.

With Australian car production ending in 2017, any argument that import restrictions were there to protect local jobs disappeared and a more extensive list of allowable arrivals was proposed under the Road Vehicle Standards Rules (2019).

The changes were intended to take effect from late 2019, but as occurred frequently when amended vehicle import rules were contemplated, external forces – in this instance COVID-19 – intervened and nothing changed until 2022.

Scrolling through this new list of sanctioned imports reveals an immense range of opportunities for automotive entrepreneurs, from 12-cylinder Italian supercars to motor scooters and three-wheeled tuk-tuks.

In terms of volume, our market will continue to concentrate on relatively recent JDM (Japanese Domestic Market) models, plus increasing numbers of older cars that are eligible under the new ‘Rolling 25 Year’ rule.

Previous SEVS arrangements allowed pre-1989 models, or cars brought here purely for competition (race or rally) purposes, to avoid significant modification in line with Australian Design Rules.

Introduction of Rolling 25 moves that cut-off date to 25 years from the month of production, but they do still need to meet basic standards.

Listings on carsales already include numerous unfamiliar shapes and names, and the numbers grow daily.

A high proportion are hybrid models being pitched on the basis of price and distance travelled at Australians who can’t afford a new hybrid but are keen to minimise the effects of unpredictable fuel prices.

Warranty and parts availability remain concerning. There is no requirement for local distributors to stock parts for models never sold here, and even basic spares may need to come from overseas with consequent delays.

The age and cost of hybrid batteries needs careful consideration too, because a 10-year-old hybrid car that needs its storage pack replaced will be no bargain at all.

A Melbourne-based dealership which stocks several of the hybrid models covered in this review confirmed when contacted that anticipated battery life was 10-12 years and that a new battery pack could add $5000 to the cost of a late-model import.

However, they are confident that those costs will continue to fall as more hybrid cars reach our market.

Japan’s ‘kei’ class vehicles are compact and quirky, designed to avoid tax in their home country and more easily negotiate narrow, crowded streets. Now they are finding spots in Australian life as well, in roles ranging from practical load carriers to minimalist fun cars.

The Daihatsu Hi-Jet is emblematic of kei class commercial vehicles. It comes as a van, ute or tipper, measures 3.395 metres long but just 1.475m wide. In common with all models in this category, engine capacity is limited to 660cc but recent S320 versions of the Hi-Jet make a useful 39kW.

Others becoming available (or returning after many years’ absence) include the Honda Acty, Subaru Sambar, Suzuki Carry and Toyota Pixis.

Most will be bought for curiosity value, but anyone wanting their mini-truck to work for its living will need to be covering plenty of kilometres. They don’t carry much per trip and can cost more to buy than a full-sized, dropside Japanese utility.

More kei cars, but this time geared to fun and frivolity. Engine capacity remains at 0.7 litres and they are so ‘squeezy’ that two beefy Aussies will rub shoulders all the way to the seaside.

Factory engine output seems limited to 50kW, however with turbo and supercharger technology in play, that limit could be easily exceeded.

Most appealing in terms of style is the turbocharged Honda S660. It produces 47kW or you can enjoy a little more while driving the oddly styled and also turbocharged Daihatsu Copen.

Others available locally include the Nissan Figaro, in pastel shades of pink and green, the old and frankly unattractive Honda Beat or a Suzuki Cappuccino.

A rarity to seek on Japanese auction sites is the Mazda Autozam AZ-1, which mounts its turbocharged triple-cylinder engine behind the cabin then makes occupants clamber out from beneath vertical-lift gullwing doors.

Japan has embraced the hybrid with a vengeance and every vehicle category seemingly needs at least one contender.

Beginning with compact passenger models we find Toyota Corolla derivatives in Axio (hatch) and Fielder (wagon) formats. Both provide a combined 73kW of power while using fuel at 4.8L/100km.

For those needing an alternative to the local Camry Hybrid, importers can source the Toyota Sai G, which teams its electric motor with a 2.4-litre petrol engine and CVT transmission.

Honda’s contender is the Honda Fit – a third-generation Jazz with more equipment than the local version, 74kW from the petrol engine plus 22kW of electric back-up. Transmission is a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic and there’s a big in-dash screen with most functions labelled in English.

The Mazda Axela is the same car seen here as the Mazda3. Well, almost the same, because we don’t get the hybrid version that has been available in Japan since 2013 and is now bursting onto other markets in significant numbers.

From Nissan comes the Nissan Note e-POWER, another 1.5-litre with battery back-up. These are available in different equipment levels but with prices seemingly more dependent on distance travelled than whether the car has cloth or leather seats.

A broad brush will be needed to cover all contenders in this grouping, which range from a limo fit for an emperor to the most potent Corolla on the planet.

Let’s start with the megalithic Toyota Century saloon, which appeared in 1967 with a 3.0-litre V8 but by 1997 had the Japanese aristocracy wafting along behind a 5.0-litre V12. Considering the quality embodied by the Century and its extreme opulence, the money being asked for recent imports is exceptionally low, but then the car is an acquired taste.

Smaller (just) than the Century but still dripping with features is the Toyota Crown. These disappeared from Australia during the 1980s but have remained popular with Japan’s executive class. Versions available here include 2.5-litre turbo-petrol, 4.3 or 4.6-litre V8s and even a 3.5-litre V6 hybrid.

Sporty imports come in all types and sizes, from spectacular supercars to 1980s classics and an unlikely hot hatchback.

Australia will remember the Honda NSX and twin-turbo Mazda RX-7, both of which sold slowly on our market during the 1990s and quietly disappeared. Now, they both are back and reportedly doing brisk business with buyers who were probably too young to even have a licence the first time around.

Less common but keenly sought will be Corolla-based Toyota Trueno and Levin coupes. These during the 1980s were too costly to be viable in Australia but have survived quite prolifically in Japan. Two-door, twin-cam, rear-wheel-driven rockets, they were stars on the rally scene and in 2.0-litre Touring Car events and today are hot property among the ‘drift’ fraternity.

Move into the 21st century and we find the Toyota Blade Master G. It too is Corolla-based but no cute little shopping cart. Toyota somehow squeezed a 3.5-litre V6 as used by the Camry and Kluger into the Corolla then tweaked it to deliver 220kW through just the front wheels!

Official 0-100km/h acceleration time is 5.9 seconds, but that can reportedly be slashed by nearly a second.

If you can’t afford the new Toyota GR Corolla…

Lots of choice here with luxurious accommodation for up to eight people. Or you can sacrifice a row of seats to accommodate a disabled occupant in their wheelchair.

Names like Nissan Elgrand and Cube, Mitsubishi Delica and Toyota Estima have existed in our market for many years, but new generations of these popular imports are now appearing, supplemented by other lesser-known models.

These include the Nissan Serena and Caravan, Mitsubishi Delica D-5 and a raft of Japanese-spec Toyotas ranging from the towering Toyota Alphard or Vellfire (your low-volume importer’s alternative to the locally-sold Granvia) to the smaller Toyota Noah and decidedly compact Avensis Verso.

Equipment includes multi-zone air-conditioning with vents throughout the cabin, electric seat adjustment and sometimes heating. Versions with wheelchair access come with ramps that are electrically deployed and proper restraints to keep a chair-bound occupant secure.