A decade after it was discontinued, Toyota is bringing back the Scion brand to offer the first-ever kei truck officially sold in the US. Earlier this week, Toyota Motor North America (TMNA) officially reintroduced the brand as a “freedom lab” fueled by bold ideas, curiosity, and possibility. Embracing its parent company, the brand is officially called Scion by Toyota. As per TMNA, the brand will help shape the future of Toyota mobility through new vehicle concepts and designs.
Along with the announcement of the brand’s revival are three vehicles: the purpose-built side-by-side all-terrain vehicle SxS Concept, the personal mobility BKE Concept, and, lastly, the KEI-01.
Among the three, the KEI-01 is generating the biggest buzz. Set to be the first-ever kei truck sold officially in the US, the KEI-01 also answers the US market’s long request to bring kei vehicles to its local market. Imported Japanese kei trucks have been rapidly growing in popularity in the US as more Americans take an interest in kei trucks and kei cars because of their affordability and quirkiness.
Kei, which translates to ‘light’ in Japanese, is a vehicle category in Japan. It resulted from the Japanese government’s post-war efforts to help people and businesses afford vehicles by creating a light-vehicle tax bracket with strict limits. Kei cars and trucks are limited in dimensions to 3.4 meters in length and 1.48 meters in width. Vehicles in this category are also capped at 660cc engine displacement.
The Scion by Toyota KEI-01 is designed to meet US low-speed vehicle (LSV) federal safety requirements and has a top speed of 25 mph (40 kph). It is powered by a 660cc three-cylinder engine mated to a CVT and four-wheel drive (4WD) system. According to TMNA, the KEI-01 will initially be offered through a fleet-focused program to help the brand learn how the model will best serve its US customers and use cases. The light truck is set to offer mobility solutions for small businesses, farms, municipalities, university and corporate campuses, delivery providers, and, of course, car enthusiasts and hobbyists. The KEI-01 will be assembled locally in the US at the Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indiana in 2027.
If you are wondering why press photos of the Scion kei truck only show a right-hand drive (RHD) configuration, it is because the KEI-01, despite being set to be locally available and produced in the U.S., will be available only in RHD. JDM yo! The reason is to avoid re-engineering and the costs of converting the kei truck platform to left-hand drive, especially since the KEI-01 is intended as a low-volume, niche fleet model.
Autocar’s Take
With Toyota answering the US market’s call for kei cars and kei trucks, it is a huge welcome development from the brand, as it now seems ready to share Japan-exclusive products with the world. Though the news that the KEI-01 will only be available in RHD configuration might seem like crushing the possibility of kei cars and kei trucks being officially sold in the Philippines, just the fact that a kei truck is being officially sold outside of Japan is a positive step towards the big possibility that once JDM-only goodies like kei cars and kei trucks will be available on our side of the world, too.
