Like the current D22 (pictured), the newcomer will be sold alongside the Navara pick-up. Unlike Navara, however, it will be aimed at customers who want a basic, no-frills load-lugger. Likely buyers will include construction companies and local authorities.
The new model may break cover at the Tokyo Motor Show this autumn. It may also pop up at the Amsterdam Commercial Vehicle Show, which coincides with the Japanese exhibition.
Its first UK appearance could be at the 2008 British Commercial Vehicle Show.
Having concentrated heavily on well-specified double cabs aimed in part at buyers who want one as a tax-efficient alternative to a car, pick-up makers active in Western Europe appear to be revisiting the concept of the pick-up as a workhorse. Volkswagen's purpose-built pick-up scheduled to debut in 2009 will target both sectors.
