Officially called the Suzulight Carry, this first generation truck was the beginning of a long line of best-selling mini trucks under the Carry and eventually Every nameplate. The first truck was organized in a “midship” layout, with the engine sitting under the driver’s seats near the middle of the car. Although it was essentially a cabover truck, it did have a small hood to resemble front-engined trucks. The Suzulight Carry was offered with a two cylinder two-stroke air-cooled engine producing 21hp, which was enough to carry up to 350kg (771lbs) of cargo in the bed.

In subsequent years a Suzulight Carry Van was also released based on the Truck. This was a three-door van with seating for four people that could also carry 300kg of cargo in the back. This first van was the genesis of the Suzuki Every van that would soon follow.

For a brief period the L20 and newer L30 Carry models were sold simultaneously in the same showrooms. The newer L30 received a full redesign from front to back. The bonnet of the L20 was gone and replaced with a flat front panel that would become the norm for kei trucks for decades. The L30 was officially sold under the Suzuki brand, rather than Suzulight, starting with this generation.

Specs and dimensions were largely similar to the outgoing L20, but there were some improvements and additional features offered. Just as the previous generation, the L30H came with a frame and canopy over the truck bed for workers to get some shade while out in the field. L30H models also came fitted with bed-mounted seats that faced inward. There were no seatbelts on those seats, so it’s safe to assume they weren’t meant to carry passengers while moving too quickly.

The L31 also featured a triple tailgate bed for the first time, allowing easy access to the bed from any side. This was another feature that would later be adopted by all models in the kei truck segment. The bed was also 380mm (15 in) longer than the L20, allowing more space for that easy-load cargo.

A van variant of the L30 Carry was also available with similar form and features as the L20 van that came before it. This lived on until 1968 when the next generation Carry was released.

The L30/31 Suzuki Carry was the first model to encompass the standard looks and features that became standard across the entire kei truck segment. It’s no wonder that Suzuki decided to do a throwback style of this truck with later generations, as it was just too good of a formula to pass up. 

The fifth generation Suzuki Carry was a mostly evolutionary update, taming down the Giugiaro design to something a bit more contemporary. Spec levels were largely similar to the previous generation, offering a truck and van with multiple variants within each range. Both models came equipped with a new water cooled 3-cylinder engine, a first for the Carry truck and van. This engine increased power and efficiency over the previous air-cooled 2-cylinder engines. Suzuki also moved the shifter from the steering column to the floor; a change that has persisted to the present day. 

The Carry Van came equipped with dual sliding doors, which provided a massive boost in useability. In addition to the sliding doors, interior cargo space was increased, partially by removing the rear slanted hatch from the previous generation. Otherwise, interior features were mostly the same. Cargo weight capacity was still 350kg with two passengers in the car.

The Carry Truck also maintained most of the same features and functionality. Trucks could be fitted with a single tailgate or the more usable triple-tailgate. Additionally there were even more commercial applications such as box trucks for carrying covered cargo and refrigerated boxes for chilled and frozen cargo.

There was also an L60 and L61 export model sold, which was largely the same as the L50 and L51 models sold in Japan. Export Carrys were equipped with a 440cc 29HP engine and were made in LHD and RHD configurations.

From 1973-1974 the Suzuki Carry was the most popular truck in Japan, reporting more registrations than any other Japanese truck model at the time.

Suzuki created a short lived update on the 5th generation carry to meet new specifications for kei-class trucks in Japan. The chassis code was ST10 but it was promoted as the Carry 55. This update came with a larger 550cc 3-cylinder engine and the overall length of the truck was slightly increased. This update lasted only four months until the next generation Carry was released, based on the ST10 model that preceded it. The ST10 is one of the rarest Carry trucks to be made, and is somewhat of a collector’s item now.

The seventh generation of the Suzuki Carry truck and van brought along some great innovations and firsts for the model. Though it launched with the same 2-stroke 550cc 3-cylinder engine as the previous generation, it gained an updated 4-cycle engine midway through this generation. Both engines were available to customers for a few years within the 7th generation Carry’s production cycle.

In addition to a 4-stroke engine, 4WD was also offered for the very first time on the Carry Truck. 4WD drivetrains could be fitted to both the 2-stroke and 4-stroke engines when it was first introduced. A limited slip differential was also available to further enhance off road capabilities of the 4WD trucks.

The Carry Van also received many improvements and expanded options in this generation. Most notably was the addition of a high-roof variant for more cabin space. Buyers could choose from four different trim levels, starting with the base “A Type” all the way up to the high roofed “E Type” which was fully loaded. High roof models could be optioned with a panoramic rear sunroof, which was a first for kei vans of the era. Just as the Truck, vans could be optioned with either the 2-stroke or the new 4-stroke engines. 4WD was not available on the van in this generation.

The 7th generation of the Suzuki Carry laid the foundation for it to be a ubiquitous commercial vehicle from the farm to the warehouse and everywhere in between.

The ninth generation Suzuki Carry truck and Every van was largely an evolution of the eighth generation’s final two years of production. Throughout it’s nine year production run, there were many innovations and additional features added to truck and van models.

Continuing the chassis code classifications of the previous generation, “DC” designated 2WD trucks and “DD” designated 4WD trucks. Additionally “T” was for trucks, “B” was for specially modified models. So the DC51T was a 2WD Truck, and a DD51B was a 4WD special model. For vans, “DE” designated a 2WD and “DF” designated 4WD. “V” was also added to the end of the chassis code for vans. For example, the DF51V was a 4WD van.

All models carried over the updated F6A 657cc 3-Cylinder, water-cooled engine. This engine featured a total power output of 41hp. Electronic fuel injection and turbocharging were options on higher trimmed van models, upping the power output to 49hp and 63hp respectively. Power steering was available as an option on higher trim van models as well.

Additional changes included an extra 20mm in width and length to the overall size of the car, and a 15mm longer wheelbase. Though front drum brakes were still available on low-trimmed models at first launch, by 1993 all models received standard disc brakes up front.

Styling was changed for both truck and van models, and actually varied depending on the trim level of the car. The lowest trimmed Carry truck and Carry van received the retro-styled round headlights, while higher trimmed vehicles were given narrower rectangular shaped headlights.

Truck models were available in 2WD and 4WD configurations, and trim levels varied greatly. Basic models were still very utilitarian with manual steering, roll-up windows, no air conditioning, or other amenities The top-spec model was the KL nouhan (Agriculture) spec, which came fitted with 4WD, and locking differentials. Nouhan Carry trucks could be fitted with either an Extra Low gear on the manual transmission or a hi/lo gear selector on the part-time 4WD transfer case. 4-speed and 5-speed manual transmissions were both available throughout the run of the DC/DD51T production. A factory dump-bed, known as the Kintaro Dump, was also offered in this generation. The Kintaro dump was an electronically controlled dump bed available on the WA trim level in both 2WD and 4WD configurations.

The Every van lineup became incredibly varied with over 25 different trim levels between 2WD and 4WD models. Many variations that began in the 8th generation Carry and Every vans also carried over into this generation. Those include multiple sunroofs, high roof variants, air conditioning, and more. The 80’s and 90’s were a time when Japanese manufacturers were very experimental with their offerings on Kei vans, and the Every van had one of the widest ranges of options and specs available.

The Carry Van was a trim level that lasted until 1993 with the retro-styled round headlights on the front fascia. This model was a utility spec vehicle, to be used as a work van for carrying cargo and goods around. From 1993 all vans fell under the Every model name, and eventually received the rectangular headlights.

The 8th generation Carry and Every is now becoming a favorite model among importers to the USA and Australia, due to the 25 year old rules for import regulations. As a result, many of these models are being exported regularly from Japan. Contact us today if you’re interested in importing a Suzuki Every or Carry from Japan.

The eleventh generation Suzuki Carry Truck and Every Van is still currently being sold as the most recent version of each model. This upgrade was largely evolutionary from the 10th generation, building on the platform and continuing on with popular features and enhancements.

All Carry Truck models now run the short wheelbase specification, for improved off road ability and lower turning radius. With this change, Suzuki has further optimized cabin space, allowing for both increased headroom and leg space compared to the previous generation. Suzuki maintains a class leading fuuel economy figure of 18.6km/l with engine improvements and a 50kg weight reduction. Material upgrades to improve this have also included measures to prevent aggressive rust buildup. Navy blue and silver were also new color options for this generation of Suzuki carry truck. 

Suzuki also offered four business-equipment variants of the Carry Truck directly from the factory, this included the following variations:

• Kintaro Dump
• Gate Lifter
• Food Carrier
• Bike Carrier

The dump featured a 1.9m long bed with five different configurations of dump truck, such as high-walled beds, shallow beds, and heavy duty beds. The Gate lifter can lift up to 350kg from a power lifting tailgate to load heavy objects more easily. Food carriers feature a refrigerated box for delivering fresh goods. Bike carriers have beds configured specifically for carrying motorcycles and two-wheeled vehicles. 

The Every Van and Wagon models were updated two years after the Carry Truck in 2015, and further varied from the truck in this latest generation. Vans still maintained the longer wheelbase of the previous generation, which allowed for more internal space for passengers and cargo. Improved fuel economy of 20.2km/l was achieved by engine upgrades and a 40kg weight reduction from the previous generation. Additional improvements included smart storage solutions, with more cup holders and cargo trays throughout the interior. Folding rear seats allowed for better use of cargo without compromising passenger space if desired. The cargo area also had mounting points for modular storage solutions sold by Suzuki and other aftermarket producers. In continuation with the previous generation, a wheelchair accessible version was also offered. This version featured a winch that could be used to automatically pull the wheelchair into the back hatch of the van.

Since the 11th generation of the Carry and Every were released, there has been more consolidation in the kei truck market. Now the Carry and Every are resold among three other manufacturers: Nissan, Mazda, and Mitsubishi. With this, there are essentially only three distinct kei truck models available on the domestic market in Japan.