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Chassis codes

The code on the plate tells you more than the model name does — generation, body type and often drivetrain.

Suzuki Carry kei truck, one of the models covered by the chassis code table
Suzuki Carry 005.JPG — Tennen-Gas, CC BY-SA 3.0 (credits)

Why the code matters more than the name

"Suzuki Carry" covers sixty years of vehicles. DA63T covers one generation, one body type and one engine family. When you are comparing listings or ordering parts, the chassis code is the useful identifier, and it is printed on the vehicle's identification plate and on its Japanese documentation.

Anatomy of a code

Take DA63T:

  • DA — the model and platform family.
  • 63 — the generation and, on some makers, the drivetrain.
  • T — the body type. T is a truck; V or P generally indicates a van or panel body.

Telling 2WD from 4WD

Each manufacturer uses its own scheme, and this is where most confusion happens:

  • Daihatsu pairs a 2WD code with a 4WD code ten higher. S200P is 2WD, S210P is 4WD; S201P and S211P follow the same pattern.
  • Honda alternates consecutive numbers. HA3 is 2WD and HA4 is 4WD.
  • Mitsubishi uses U61T for 2WD and U62T for 4WD.
  • Suzuki uses separate families such as DA and DB, where the DB codes are commonly 4WD.
Verify against the vehicle, not the advert

Code conventions are reliable but exporters and resellers do mislabel listings. The identification plate and the Japanese export certificate are the authority. If four-wheel drive matters to you, ask for a photograph of the plate and of the transfer lever.

Full code table

Kei truck chassis codes by model
CodeModelYearsEngineNotes
DC51T / DD51TSuzuki Carry1991–1999F6AFirst 660cc Carry generation. Carburettor and later EFI. Simple and mechanically forgiving.
DA52T / DB52TSuzuki Carry1999–2002F6A / K6ANew wider body to the 1998 kei box. Improved brakes and cabin space.
DA63TSuzuki Carry2002–2013K6ALong-running EFI generation. The most common target as 25-year eligibility advances.
DA16TSuzuki Carry2013–R06ACurrent generation. Not yet 25 years old.
S82P / S83PDaihatsu Hijet1990–1994EF-seriesFirst 660cc Hijet trucks.
S100P / S110PDaihatsu Hijet1994–1999EF-seriesCommon 4WD agricultural specification. S110P is the 4WD code.
S200P / S210PDaihatsu Hijet1999–2004EF-VE / EF-SENew wide body. S210P is 4WD. Very common among imports.
S201P / S211PDaihatsu Hijet2007–2014KF-VEKF engine. S211P is 4WD.
S500P / S510PDaihatsu Hijet2014–KFCurrent generation.
HA1 / HA2Honda Acty1988–1990E05A550cc era ending. HA2 is 4WD.
HA3 / HA4Honda Acty1990–1999E07A660cc. HA4 is 4WD. The classic Acty.
HA6 / HA7Honda Acty1999–2009E07ZWide body. HA7 is 4WD.
HA8 / HA9Honda Acty2009–2021E07ZFinal generation; Acty production ended 2021.
KS3 / KS4Subaru Sambar1990–1999EN07660cc, four-wheel independent suspension. KS4 is 4WD.
TT1 / TT2Subaru Sambar1999–2012EN07Final Subaru-engineered Sambar. TT2 is 4WD. Supercharged trims exist.
S500J / S510JSubaru Sambar2012–KFRebadged Daihatsu Hijet, not Subaru-engineered.
U14T / U19TMitsubishi Minicab1991–19993G83660cc. U19T is 4WD.
U61T / U62TMitsubishi Minicab1999–20143G83Wide body. U62T is 4WD. Air conditioning and power steering common on higher trims.
DS16TMitsubishi Minicab2014–R06ARebadged Suzuki Carry.
Minicab MiEVMitsubishi Minicab2011–electricBattery electric kei van and truck.