History
Overview
The Honda Acty is an economical and agile work vehicle that has been in production for over four decades. The Acty truck was first introduced on July 27, 1977, and was designed to replace Honda's previous Keitoras models. In 1975, the Japanese Government revised regulations for road trucking vehicles, which prompted Honda to release the Acty with a midship-mounted 545 cc 2-cylinder engine.
Throughout its production, the Acty has undergone several changes and updates. The first generation was produced from 1977 to 1988, the second generation from 1988 to 1999, and the third generation from 1999 to 2009. The fourth generation, which is a truck only, was introduced in 2009 at the 41st Tokyo Motor Show and continued to use the E07Z engine.
1st Generation (1997-1988)
On July 27, 1977, Honda introduced the Acty truck, replacing several Keitoras models such as the TN360 and T360. In 1975, the Japanese Government revised regulations for road trucking vehicles, which prompted Honda to release the Acty with a midship-mounted 545 cc 2-cylinder engine, known as the EH engine. The standard cash price in the Tokyo area at the time of launch was ¥533,000 (yen)
In addition to the truck, the Acty van was also introduced in 1979, with a standard or high roof design. An upper trim level, called the Honda Street, was introduced in 1981 mainly for passenger usage and was produced for two generations. 4WD and disc brakes were added for 1983. An option for Air Conditioning was added in 1985.
Model Numbers: TA/TB/TC/JB/VD/VH
2nd Generation
In May 1988, Honda introduced the second generation Acty, featuring a sleek new design and a powerful 547 cc 3-cylinder SOHC engine rated at 34 PS. The first models were the Acty truck and van, with the commercial grade Acty van appearing a month later. The 4WD models were no longer available with an automatic transmission. But that's not all, the "Acty Attack" version of the truck was specifically designed for farmers, featuring a differential lock in the rear and ultra-low forward and reverse gears. The standard cash price in the Tokyo area at the time of launch was ¥598,000 (yen) for the base model truck.
As the years went on, the Acty and Street Van underwent several updates and redesigns, including larger, square headlamps and a PGM-FI version in "Fox" and "Xi" equipment levels. The Acty Crawler, with treads mounted on tandem axles replacing the rear wheels, was also released in 1994 and remained in production until 1999. The Acty and Street were further modified in 1996 when the front turn signals were changed from amber to clear. Production of the Acty continued until the arrival of the third generation in 1999, although the Honda Street continued to be built until 2001.
Model Numbers: HA/1/2/3/4/5/HH1/2/3/4
3rd Generation
On May 27th, 1999, Honda introduced the third generation Acty truck to the market. One month later, the van version went on sale. The design of the vehicle was heavily influenced by the Japanese Government's amendment to the Enforcement Regulations Vehicle Law, which placed increased emphasis on safety requirements for front passengers. To meet these requirements, Honda pushed the driving position back while keeping the engine in its traditional location underneath the vehicle. The result was a "semi-bonneted" design that retained the mid-engined, rear-wheel-drive layout of the previous models.
One of the major focuses during development was to increase safety without compromising overall dimensions. Additionally, the 656 cc engine featured in the Acty truck was of an LEV design, with low emissions and high gas mileage. This was further improved by the addition of electric power steering. In 1999, the engine produced 46 PS (34 kW; 45 hp) at 5,000 rpm. The engine has since been upgraded to a 660 cc 12-valve inline-three E07Z gasoline engine, which produces 53 PS (39 kW; 52 hp) at 7,000 rpm and 6.2 kg⋅m (61 N⋅m; 45 lb⋅ft) of torque at 4,000 rpm (4WD models).
