Engines Toyota Lite Ace, Lite Ace Noah, Lite Ace Truck

The Lite Ace/Master Ace/Town family of compact Japanese minibuses captivated everyone at one time. Later, they grew into models such as the Toyota Lite Ace Noah and Toyota Lite Ace Truck, but more on that below. Now let's get back to Lite Ace. These were high-quality and extremely popular cars! These cars were sold all over the world! There were many versions of this car (for example, luxurious, comfortable interiors or a “hard worker” without interior upholstery). There were also versions with different heights and roofs and so on.

The engines in those cars were located in the base, that is, under the floor of the passenger compartment.

This was very inconvenient for servicing the engine; I am glad that the power units were extremely unpretentious and rarely required intervention in their operation. There were cars with all-wheel drive and only rear-wheel drive. Manual gearboxes and automatic transmissions were available.

Toyota Lite Ace 3rd generation

The car was first shown to the public in 1985. People liked the car and immediately began to actively sell. Several engines were offered for the model. One of them is the 4K-J (petrol 58-horsepower engine with a displacement of 1.3 liters). In addition to this power unit, there was a more powerful option. This is a gasoline 5K, which in some modifications was later labeled as 5K-J, its displacement was 1.5 liters, and its power reached 70 horsepower.

1985 Toyota Lite Ace

There was also a diesel two-liter 2C (power 73 hp), all of these engines were decent and problem-free. It must be said that they were also installed on other Toyota cars.

4K-J could be seen on:

• Corolla;
• Town Ace.

The 5K and 5K-J engines were also installed on the Town Ace, and the 2C diesel power unit could be seen under the hood of such models as:

• Caldina;
• Carina;
• Carina E;
• Corolla;
• Corona;
• Sprinter;
• Town Ace.

With the engines discussed above, the car was sold throughout the entire production period of this generation (until 1991). But there were also engines that were installed on the 3rd generation Toyota Lite Ace until 1988. This is a 1.5 liter petrol 5K-U, which developed 70 hp. (this engine is a 5K variety). A 1.8 liter internal combustion engine was also offered, developing 79 horsepower (2Y-U). There was also a modification of the “diesel” 2C, which was labeled as 2C-T (2 liters of displacement and power equal to 82 “horses”).

On-site inspection

The hood and windshield form an almost straight line, which has a beneficial effect on aerodynamics. Small headlights are supported from below by a powerful bumper of an original shape. Large foglights are built into it at the edges; they are covered with decorative protective grilles and surrounded by plastic glasses that cover the edges of the bumper and bump stop.

In case of minor “clashes”, for example, when parking, the plastic will take the blow, preserving the bumper itself, painted in a beautiful silver metallic.

The rear door lifts up and is held open by gas shock absorbers. It has a very large handle for easy opening.

There is only one sliding door to access the passenger compartment - on the left side.

The salon is very colorful. Velor is quite a cheerful color. Instrument scales are blue. The color of other parts of the interior is light gray. An unusual combination of colors, however, quite harmonious. On the driver's door trim, my attention is drawn to a black spot that houses three power window control buttons.

Yes, there is one feature here that is not typical of the vast majority of other cars: the glass of the side sliding door is lowered using an electric drive.

The cabin is very spacious. Thanks to the carriage layout, eight people can fit here (including luggage) comfortably. By the way, the seats fold easily, forming a flat platform on which you can sit for the night. Well, here’s a bonus: all seats are adjustable and have headrests. This will help you get comfortable on a long journey.

Another nice touch: the rear row seats (there are two of them, but they can accommodate three) can move back and forth relative to each other, which allows you to more widely vary the volume of the luggage compartment. And middle row passengers have access to climate control in the cabin.

The driver's seat is well equipped. Ergonomics are good, the seat is comfortable, and the driving position is close to optimal. There are no problems with visibility thanks to the very large exterior mirrors, large glass area and high seating position.

The instrument panel is more typical of a passenger car than a bus. Sitting behind the wheel, you don’t feel like you’re in a minivan at all. The instrument panel is quite informative: speedometer, tachometer, fuel level and coolant temperature gauges. The instrument scales are decorated with a blue stripe with orange divisions. The readability of instruments is excellent.

There is nothing superfluous on the center console: climate control, a CD receiver, a pocket for coins and the inevitable ashtray with a cigarette lighter.

The space between the driver and front passenger seats is free, since the automatic transmission lever is located on the steering column.

Restyling of the third generation Lit Ice

Restyling was insignificant; it started in 1988. One of the most notable innovations is the updated optics. Some other new items can be immediately noticed only by the most ardent fan of the model. No new engines were offered, in principle there was no need for this, because all the power units that were installed on the pre-restyling model worked well.

Interior of a 1985 Toyota Lite Ace

Fourth generation Lit Ice

It came out in 1996. The car was made more rounded, it began to correspond to the automotive fashion of Japan of that era. The updated optics, which have become more massive, catches the eye.

New engines were offered for this model. The 3Y-EU is a two-liter gasoline power unit that produces a respectable 97 horsepower. This engine was also installed on:

• Master Ace Surf;
• Town Ace.

A 2C-T diesel engine was also offered, which we have already reviewed (2.0 liters and a power of 85 hp), in addition there was another version of this “diesel”, which was labeled as 3C-T, essentially this there was the same two-liter engine, but a little more powerful (88 “horses”). With some alternative settings, engine power reached 91 horsepower.

Engine Toyota Lite Ace 2C-T

This updated engine was later installed on such models as:

• Camry;
• Estima Emina;
• Estima Lucida;
• Toyota Lite Ace Noah;
• Toyota Town Ace;
• Toyota Town Ace Noah;
• Vista.

In addition, it is worth listing all the engines that were offered on the fourth generation Toyota Lite Ace. We've already talked about them, so we'll just call them: 2C, 2Y-J and 5K.

Comparing with "classmates"

This market segment is gradually becoming saturated. This is understandable - a universal mode of transport cannot remain unclaimed. But the Toyota Noah ($8,500)* still has few full-fledged “classmates”. On our streets you can only find Mazda Bongo Friende ($9,000) and Nissan Largo ($6,160). Close in spirit to our guest today is the Mazda MPV (no data).

* The average offer price is indicated according to the block of free private advertisements of the newspaper “Wheels” at the time of publication of the article

Evgeniy KARIMOV. Photo by Konstantin BATSAZOV

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Toyota Lite Ace 5th generation

The model was released in 1996 and was produced until 2007. This is a modern beautiful car. It was offered with several engines to choose from, some of them came from older models, and some were specially developed by engineers. Of the old internal combustion engines in the model range of this model there is a 5K, as well as a diesel 2C.

Engine Toyota Lite Ace 3C-E

Among the new products was the 3C-E diesel with a volume of 2.2 liters and a power of 79 horsepower. Gasoline engines also appeared. This is a 1.8 liter petrol 7K, developing a power of 76 “horses” and its modification 7K-E (1.8 liters and 82 horsepower). New engines were also installed on other company car models. So 3C-E could be found on:

• Caldina;
• Corolla;
• Corolla Fielder;
• Sprinter;
• Town Ace.

The 7K and 7K-E engines were once equipped with another car model from Toyota, the Toyota Town Ace.

History and modifications of the vehicle

Toyota Light Ace began production back in 1970. Until 1986, it was distinguished exclusively by its rear-wheel drive version. After this year, the company switched to all-wheel drive with the function of forced connection of the front axle.

Until 1996, the Toyota Lite Ace was produced in the form of a frame minivan, which could be made in two types. The passenger form of the car meant from 7 to 9 seats, and the cargo form meant only 5 seats. There were the following modifications of the vehicle:

1. DX. This type of Toyota was a Lite Ace cargo truck with an air conditioning system.
2. AXL. This Toyota model was characterized as an improved Lite Ace cargo type. As additions, electric window drives were installed on it. In addition, the optical instruments on this machine have significantly improved.
3. GXL. The manufacturer positioned this modification of the Toyota Light Ace car as a passenger car. It also differed from the improved cargo version in that it was equipped with a radio that played CDs, an additional air conditioner or a heater for the interior, as well as electric drives for windows and hatches.
4. FXV. This Toyota Lit Ice truck was considered an improved passenger version. As additional elements, it contained such things as: a refrigerator, curtains operating by electric drive, as well as electrically heated rear-view mirrors.

The Toyota Lit Ice truck and passenger car were significantly updated after 1996, after which they were produced in this way until 2001. After this, these vehicles were replaced by a new company car called Noah.

Toyota Lite Ace 6th generation

The car has been produced since 2008 to this day. This model was designed by Toyota in collaboration with Daihatsu, and the development and production of the model is carried out only by Daihatsu. This is a rather interesting solution, which is becoming the norm in the modern world.

2008 Toyota Lite Ace

This car is equipped with one single engine - a petrol 1.5 liter 3SZ-VE, developing a power of 97 horsepower. This engine will be actively used in other cars from the Toyota line:

• bB
• Toyota Lite Ace Truck
• Passo Sette
• Rush
• Toyota Town Ace
• Toyota Town Ace Truck

Dimensions of various minivan models

When choosing a car, many motorists pay attention not only to its technical characteristics and description, but also to parameters such as body dimensions. It is believed that the larger the vehicle, the harder it is to drive, which significantly affects such factors as safety.

Depending on the modification of the Toyota Light Ace car, its dimensions may vary slightly. First of all, this concerns the overall dimensions, which are the length, width and height of the body. All these dimensions are usually given in millimeters to allow clear comparison of different types of machines.

Toyota Lite Ace Noah

It is impossible not to mention this car if we are talking about Lit Ice. Noah was produced from 1996 to 1998. This is a nice car that found its buyer right away. Two different engines were installed on this car. The first of them is 3S-FE (gasoline, 2.0 liters, 130 horsepower). This type of internal combustion engine is also found on:

• Avensis;
• Caldina;
• Camry;
• Carina;
• Carina E;
• Carina ED;
• Celica;
• Corona;
• Corona Exiv;
• Corona Premium;
• Corona SF;
• Curren;
• Gaia;
• Ipsum;
• Nadia;
• Picnic;
• RAV4;
• Vista;
• Vista Ardeo.

The second engine is the 3C-T diesel engine, which we have already discussed above, so we will not focus on it again.

Technical data of motors

Any of the motors is reliable, repairable and widespread. There is no need to fear any of these engines. None of them have obvious weak points, and they all have an impressive resource. Although it is worth remembering that the condition of the engine largely depends on the conditions of its operation and the quality of maintenance.