I wonder why Toyota doesn't sell any of their larger vans such has the Hi-Ace in the US. It seems the American full size van manufacturers have been very stagnant and could use the competition. The Mercedes Sprinter full size van is now being sold in the US through Freightliner and Dodge and this would be a good fuel efficient, space efficient diesel alternative but I prefer Toyota quality.
I notice there seems to be two different Hi-Ace designs. The ones sold in Asia and Australia are forward control with the driver sitting over the front wheels and the engine under the front seats similar to the Toyota vans sold in the US in the 1980's but larger. The ones sold in Europe have the engine and front wheels moved forward with a front end similar to the Sprinter but as I recall from seeing them in Europe they are more the size of a VW Transporter than a Sprinter. I'd suspect the front engine version would do better in the US market as it is more conventional looking and would probably do better in the US crash tests. It probably doesn't have room for a big V-8 like the Tundra but the modern high pressure direct injection turbodiesels used would provide plenty of power for US conditions as evidenced by the Sprinter with its 2.7 litre engine. Maybe the price of fuel in the US needs to go up more before Toyota feels it can be sufficiently competitive against the V-8 US vans.
Zach Kaplan