I use a kei truck for farming. They are incredibly pragmatic little vehicles. They are very capable driving around on dirt/gravel agricultural roads with 4WD, and they are inexpensive and robust enough that you can really beat them up and use them as a tool without worry. Repairs and replacement parts are ubiquitous and inexpensive. Having the sides of bed fold down is also really useful.

They aren't comfortable to drive at all (although just having A/C at all on a hot summer day in the field is a godsend), and I wouldn't want to do longer trips in one - although you certainly could in a pinch.

It seems like Toyota/Scion is just testing the waters here, and I'm not sure how successful they'll be. But I hope there is a future for kei trucks in the US.

25 mph works for golf courses, resort, or island use. In rural areas on the mainland, roads connecting towns often have 45 or 55 mph speed limits so unless you plan on staying on the farm I don't think these are practical for trips to go shopping, dumping, hauling, etc.

As for the imports, I saw one of these 90s-era right-hand drive kei trucks at a parking lot a few months ago and talked with the owner. He was a young guy who lived in Boston, said it was super easy to park. Speed maxed out at 70 mph, which is fine for local trips but maybe not for long highway trips.

For people in jurisdictions that allow 30 year old truck imports, and are interested in getting one, there are other countries that use such trucks and have left-hand drive. Taiwan has models from CMC and Suzuki, and I believe South Korea also makes them.

> it has a limited top speed of less than 25mph and is only legal on roads with a posted speed limit of less than 35mph.

Dealbreaker. Too bad they couldn't get it legal on 45mph or less. It would literally open up 99% of non-highway routes.

With a built in 25mph limiter, that eliminates "city" driving too unfortunately. Most roads around me are 35 mph.

There's sizeable demand for people who want to be able to do runs to the bigbox stores for garden and DIY renovation supplies and store it the rest of the time.

This would have been an instant buy for me if it weren't for the 25mph limit. That being said, I'm extremely excited by this, because it proves there is demand for Kei trucks in the US. I've done a lot of research into the import process for bringing a truck over from Japan, and I'll likely end up going that route in a year or so unless newer trucks with higher speeds get announced

660cc engine at ~40 horsepower is about the same as a mid-70s VW Beetle - not in cc size, but HP potential.

This little truck could do a lot more than 25 mph if it were allowed to do so. Not saying that would be safe, and I'd not want to ever put one on a busy freeway, but for getting around most urban cities in the US it's fine as-is but would be even better if the limit was ~40 mph.

It’s a huge mistake to limit the speed to 25mph. When this is released in 2027, Kei trucks will be street legal in Colorado. I would have pre-ordered this without question but that speed makes it useless for basic commuting or running errands.

For those of you clamoring for kei trucks to be street legal in the US, you really need to do some street view comparisons between Japan and the US.

US roads are built for much, much higher speeds. Kei cars purposefully give up safety with the caveat that they’re only used on low speed roadways, and Japan designs their roads with the intention of these vehicles being acceptably safe in that context.

This is exciting, though the 25mph governor is a dealbreaker. I own a 1998 Subaru Sambar Kei Van (and am importing a second this month). It's a delight to drive here in the city, and it functions as an ideal delivery vehicle for my wife's neighborhood bakery. Cargo space exceeds my 7-seat SUV.

Maintenance is challenging (entirely DIY, as no shops around here care to touch it), but getting most parts has been fairly straightforward, just slow if we have to ship them from Japan.

The Kei van format is fantastic, and we've even installed seatbelts for the rear fold-down seats and we drive our kids around in it. I can't seem to get it higher than about 60mph, but that's scary fast for this vehicle. We don't ever really need to take it on the highway. It's so simple to park, visibility and features are amazing, even for an older vehicle. Ahead of it's time! I would love to get a pickup version, but don't have an excuse for that yet.

All little trucks are beautiful. The perfect truck is a 1985 long bed Toyota Pickup, but I guess I'm happy about any little trucks coming to the US, since the laws are stacked so much against them.

> With its friendly little 660cc engine and CVT transmission, the KEI-01 was certified to meet American low-speed vehicle safety standards, meaning it has a limited top speed of less than 25mph and is only legal on roads with a posted speed limit of less than 35mph.

So it's basically useless to the American market outside of the farming and rural campgrounds communities.

We already import thousands of Kei trucks a year for farm truck use and those imported trucks can even have their speed limiters removed to go 55mph depending on the state laws, this is pointless.

>>>> When Toyota first introduced the Scion marque in 2003, it had one primary goal – sell cars to the younger generation.

When I bought my Scion, after finishing the transaction, I asked the salesman: "It's obvious who these cars are being marketed to. But who buys them?"

His answer: "Old tightwads like you."

I almost bought used electric one for $5K about a year ago, before the Iran invasion and the fuel price spikes. I had a good use for it at the time (a family move) so I regret not getting it, since I figured it would just be more lingering crap at the end of the move. But, it would have held resale value. I'm sure they're in much shorter supply now.

They're great for local hauling or a short commute, but impractical as a general purpose vehicle due to limited range and speed (the type I was looking at, anyway). Top speed is 40mph and they're legal to drive only on roads with speed limit 35mph or lower, and range with the 10kwh battery pack is around 40 miles iirc. But, if you only use it a few miles per day on average and park it outside, putting solar panels on the roof means it literally never needs fuel or charging. The stopper for me was being unable to drive on the freeway.

Not sure ho well they will work with the 25mph limit. Might as well import an actual kei truck, even if 25 year old... or get one of those mini electric chinese pickups:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIPXsvWPcGI

btw, there is a Californian company called Telo Truck that wants to sell a Kei-ish truck but as an EV cab forward. I say Kei-ish because it is 152 inch long (they compare it to a Mini on their website), where as Kei trucks can max be 134 inch, it gives me the same shape and vibes.

If the company ever makes it to production, then i guess that could be a real option.

Bringing back the Scion brand for real as Toyota's EV sub-brand would seem like a good fit to me. (I miss that brand: great, simple cars, mostly based on the Echo platform)

Kei trucks have high utility because they continue to be country-appropriate as American pickup trucks (and cars!) used to be. The confluence of CAFE standards and tax benefits entirely eliminated small vehicles in the United States. It really makes companies like Telo stand out, as they are making small yet fully functional trucks in the US, despite the inherent headwinds.

Another company that deserves plaudits for the same is mutiny.fm who are building an open source kei truck out of a disused factory in Detroit. Similar limitations as the new scion, but aimed at people for whom repairability and modifiability are virtues in a vehicle

Hmm. That view with the flowers makes the cab look as deep as the bed. The proportions don’t look right. Is this a rendering or other kind of concept?

why would they build this? i believe there is a legitimate market for small trucks (actual small trucks, not Mavericks), but less than 25mph is just not useable for anything

When I was a kid in the early 2000s, I often dreamed of one day owning a tC in Black Cherry Pearl and enjoyed lovingly calling xBs “toaster cars.”

Recently almost bought an '06 xB toaster except it was a Series limit edition with the special paint job. It had chipped paint on the hood from rocks and the owner said his insurance would total it instead of repainting because the paint was so expensive.

Can I please post my favourite song about Kei Trucks: https://youtu.be/MHAOvKJngTQ

I live in a rural area in NC and these are all over the place, but I'm not sure why Toyota is doing this. Without knowing the price it's difficult to say how well it will do but why would I buy this vs an older one? In our area I think these are replacing side by sides which have just become astronomical in price.

Please note that kei cars in Japan are usually speed limited to 130kmh/~80mph, so to see them on the road at 100/110kmh (~60/65mph) is a daily and totally safe occurrence. In addition, most keis sold in Japan are not the turbo variants but the one without with 50-55ish HP.

The Toyota press release: https://pressroom.toyota.com/toyota-says-okei-to-america-int... .

In 1963 Lyndon Johnson added "light trucks" to the Chicken Tax as a quid pro quo to prevent the auto workers union from striking before the election.

As a result we don't get "right sized" trucks like the kei or more efficient farm vehicles like the hilux.

I love those trucks, the way they look, but how are they for tall people? 6.5 feet / 2m or taller

NYT article: ''Toyota Sees a U.S. Future for Tiny Trucks With a Devoted Following''

http://archive.today/rLNx6

Kei is legal on streets with limits 35 mph and under. I could daily it if I went the long way. My drive would go from 15 minutes to 20.

John Deere sells tons of Gators, lots of farms have them. This seems more capable and similarly priced.

Who is the target market for this? It’s an ICE vehicle, 4wd and limited to a maximum speed of 25mph. Farmers?

I didn't know Scion had left...

Man, forget the slate and other trucks, this is going to be awesome.

Not useful, large brands will moat them out of existance for everyday use

Needs a manual transmission and 4wd like the old Honda Acty

> With its friendly little 660cc engine and CVT transmission, the KEI-01 was certified to meet American low-speed vehicle safety standards, meaning it has a limited top speed of less than 25mph and is only legal on roads with a posted speed limit of less than 35mph. This makes it not really usable as a daily driver, but keeps it in this beautiful sweet spot where it has a shocking number of commercial and agricultural uses.

You were always allowed to import small kei trucks in the US if you didn't take them on public streets - you were just never allowed to register them. You would regularly see them in zoos or in manufacturing yards - in LHD to boot!

It's a little disappointing, they are basically going to be treated legally like a golf cart and electronically limited. An identical imported model would go all the way up to 55mph on the same drivetrain.

It's all limited by the US maddening approach to traffic safety - a 3 ton pickup with 6 foot pedestrian blind spots gets top safety ratings, but a small truck going 30mph is illegal.

I was wondering why they'd keep the same 660cc engine, but it has a 25mph limiter, huh. Waste of an opportunity. 660cc is fine for going 100-120kph here in Japan. I love my kei truck, but speeds in the US are way too fast. I'd want at least a 1L engine.

I see people importing kei trucks to Canada all the time so I'm sure they'll sell great.

So many people here have never driven a kei truck or a wigo/daihatsu agya.

They are not fun cars, they should be cheap and disposable.

The MSRP for this in japan is less than $10,000,$6000 for the base model:

https://toyota.jp/pixistruck/

It's going to go here for what, $15,000? $25,000? Better than buying a 25 yr old one for $10,000 from a used dealer lot that has no parts or real mechanic trained on them but at that price point..

a Mavrick is better.

The amazon truck is better.

The headline excited me but a gas vehicle with a 25mph limit is useless to me. When is someone gonna make an EV truck with a kei-like form factor? The Slate ain't it.

Kei trucks are excellent for farm use, non-DoT roads and intrasite travel. I absolutely wouldn't want to see them on public roads though. American infrastructure just isn't built for them and taxing every bearded hipster and their equally bearded mother for the accommodation isn't something I want to pay for.

> Do you consent to these personal data processing activities by us and our 1753 partners?

That is my new, personal record. Haven't had a site wanting to sell my data to this many parties yet.

I don't understand the naming choice. This vehicle is not sporty like the Scions I remember. Also, it is not the kind of vehicle that a scion (person from family money) would aspire to drive.

It seems like they just reached into the "previously granted trademark" bin and pulled out a random name.

Just build a small, simple, functional truck that is not hamstrung or gimped, and don't try to sell it for a kidney. Why is this seemingly an impossible task in the states?

Kei trucks are coffins on wheels.

It's the VW Microbus all over again.

Can’t wait for Floridians to jailbreak the ECU and set it the top speed for max 35 MPH in order to treat it like a long bed golf cart.

Let's see if the vocal internet crowd puts their money where their posts are. I predict this being a market failure.

Limited to 25mph, perfect for London.

Critically nerfed with the 25mph limit. I understand the intentions around safety and regulations, but this will probably kill the small truck industry rather than help it. Likey by design

Purely as a satisfied customer, I want to put out a plea for the site: if you're into good writing about cars, subscribe to The Autopian. Put your money where your mouth is.

GOOD!!!!

Kei trucks are so dang useful looking.

I hope they make an electric one.

This product makes no sense. Who exactly are they planning to sell to? I don't think people needing a truck for work would ever use something like this over say a F150.

I didn't realize that the KEI-01 can drive in 4x4, that's pretty good. I'm going to have to keep an eye on it. My 1991 I6 F-150 is lonely and needs a buddy.

Is this some weird US Tik Tok trend?

A kei truck is about the least American-market thing ever

Think you could bench a Scion KEI?

Is there a crumple zone other than the driver's legs?

(Yes: The passenger's legs.)

Kei trucks should be the only form of legal trucks in North America. The current models of “trucks” available are all insanely dangerous for everyone.

If we change the low-speed vehicle standards to 35 mph or 40 mph, KEI trucks could thrive in America as a low-cost mobility solution!

So close, but so far.

Let's see here:

LSV: Okay, whatever the market is limited to farm equipment and campuses but the agrijeep was a success despite that

Automatic: WHY. Cost? Maintenance? All so Paul Blart can drive the thing without picking up the automotive equivalent of riding a bike.

Fleet sales only: You are fucking kidding. A lot of fleets buy exclusively American either by obligation or by habit. You lock out half the market for this thing right here.

28k MSRP: Dead on arrival, Slate, a Ford Maverick, the Fathom if it either releases. You are objectively paying more for less.

How Toyota. How could you fuck this one up so bad? I'm almost convinced that Toyota has introduced this simply to manufacture consent for America's lack of compacts. Make the absolutely least appealing package possible and then go "Oh well! Americans only want Toyota Tundra ;)"

Toyota needs reasons to sell internal combustion engines.

Why the hell would someone in US buy a car tailor made for Japanese road regulations

Maybe in Belgium or Netherlands it could work But America? With its land surface and distances? this is dead on arrival

Kind of glad about this because it f*king sucks that there is such a big export market for these things as that pushes up second hand Kei Truck prices for locals in Japan.

If you want a second hand Kei truck market you're up against hundreds of exporters all bidding at auctions for the best ones who are paying with USD.

This is pretty cool. It's too bad it's just for fleets. Must be they realized how much money was going to imported Kei trucks, and that they could just... do the importing themselves, and pick up some cash. (edit: looks like they sacrificed payload for the AC/heat? only 600lbs?)

The SXS looks cool, but gearheads want a tiny Jeep replacement (which there are none of in the US), not another UTV/buggy we already have

I like the concept, I just find myself wondering if the Big 3 will pull another Chicken Tax move to protect the full-size pickup golden geese.

Toyota - and Japan in general - has a helluva trade relationship with the US, but that's effectively all Detroit knows how to beat the world at anymore and they love the margins on their truck portfolios, to the point that they considered sedans and most coupes to be too thin to warrant continued production.

‏hi

and just after being mentioned in dropout. grant is in on the conspiracy /j

tl;dr: it's for the neighborhood golf cart market

I'm as into these as the next person, but this is not a substitute for a real set of 4wd wheels needed on a farm or rural property, which is the practical application others seem to think it's for. With a 600 lb payload (including people), you can't even cart a single cubic yard of mulch. Forget gravel, dirt, sand, etc. It's cool if super cheap, or if you're rich and want something fun to bang around in addition to your actual machines. But give me a used Taco anyday (and a Deere gator for the woods stuff). But have I always wanted one for fun? Obvs.

Mom, Dad, I'm kei