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Someone from Dudhu Chak (Pakistan) wrote this:

To get around the town mostly motorbikes are used. Cars and Toyotas are also used, but rarely.

What is "a Toyota" in this context?

I guess that in this area Toyota must be a synonym for a particular class of vehicle.

I have no idea as the Toyota company makes trucks, sedans, vans, cars, bikes, etc.

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    A hunch tells me it might mean Land Cruiser 4x4s. Mar 3, 2015 at 9:03
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    I'm voting to close this question as off-topic because it's about the usage of English language in Pakistan. Perhaps suitable for english.stackexchange.com Mar 3, 2015 at 11:21
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    @Tor-EinarJarnbjo: Let's say I am from Morocco and I call them (in Arabic) to discuss rental prices: Zero English used, but still the question is important for me as a traveller. "Toyota" is a term that tourists will hear when they want to rent a car there, whatever the language.
    – nic
    Mar 3, 2015 at 11:30
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    @Tor-EinarJarnbjo: You're going to be pretty busy closing every question in the terminology tag. For all we know "toyota" is some genericized trademark in Urdu meaning "minivan". The question is just about words travellers have to understand in certain places or conditions. Get used to it if you're going to travel. Mar 3, 2015 at 14:48

1 Answer 1

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They mean the HiAce which is commonly used in Pakistan for inter-city transport.

wikpedia

Image Credit: wikipedia

Here is one in action:

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    Thanks a lot! Any reference or example of that term used in this since on a Pakistan forum or something like that, maybe? Or have you been there and heard that, maybe? :-)
    – nic
    Mar 3, 2015 at 11:39
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    Rode those things many times on our many summer visits back. Unless you really like being one with your fellow seat mate; these things are to be avoided (or try to sit on the front with the driver; but these spots are reserved for ladies). This is not the place for elbow-room or legroom. It gets cramped and in the summer your only respite is from the heat (and dust) from the window (if you manage to open it), and then got rid of the curtain that is usually there. Check the updated image for more info. Mar 3, 2015 at 12:00
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    In most areas they are just referred to as "hiace" (pronounced as "hiess"), as in "lets take the hiace to Islamabad". In other areas, the word "Toyota" is used because there are many Chinese versions of the same vehicle. Given the context in the excerpt, that Toyotas are rarely used within town; it makes more sense since these minivans are almost always for intercity transport. Within cities and metros people used bikes or the auto rickshaws (which are called "ChingChi" as that's the brand used in Pakistan (Qingqi). Mar 4, 2015 at 4:13

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