A 4-door van version was added to the Starlet line in October 1978. Using the economical and streamlined Starlet platform, the Starlet van was developed with the aim of meeting the demand for increasingly diverse commercial-use vehicles. Special attention was paid not only to basic functions of small trucks such as the carrying capacity, but also to safety, passenger car-like ride comfort, and quietness. The van also met the 1979 noise and emission standards.

The luggage space was relatively large for this vehicle class. The payload capacity was 400 kg when carrying two passengers, and 200 kg with five passengers. All van models had four doors, and luggage could be loaded or unloaded from three directions. Use of concealed hinges on the back door eliminated protrusions on the luggage room ceiling and made the opening wider, allowing smoother loading and unloading of cargo.