Daihatsu has introduced the new Gran Max in Japan, which is set to go on sale from September 4, alongside its rebadged cousin known as the Toyota Town Ace. The Gran Max will be produced by Daihatsu’s Indonesian subsidiary – P.T. Astra Daihatsu Motor – and will be exported to Japan, marking the first time that Daihatsu models produced overseas will be sold in the country.


As before, both versions of the light commercial vehicle are available as a panel van or a pick-up truck guises, depending on the needs of businesses who purchase them. Toyota’s version of the model can also be ordered with a refrigeration unit or a power lift mounted behind the cab for more specialised requirements.


Power comes from a 2NR-VE 1.5 litre four-cylinder engine – the same used for the Perodua Myvi and Aruz – that develops 97 PS at 6,000 rpm and 134 Nm of torque at 4,400 rpm. The engine can be paired with either a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic, along with a choice of front- or all-wheel drive, regardless of the body type selected.


Visually, there’s very little to tell the Gran Max and Town Ace apart aside from their badges, but they do differ slightly from before thanks to new LED headlamps and restyled taillights. Besides that, you still get A-pillars that are angled to promote more headroom and improve visibility, as well as plenty of ergonomic and practical design elements for easier ingress/egress and cargo loading.


A more significant update is the fitment of active safety systems, including autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane departure warning, erroneous start prevention with brake control, front vehicle departure alert and an automatic high beam function. This is standard for both models, along with Vehicle Stability Control (VSC), traction control and two airbags.