Toyota building kei trucks in North America probably wasn’t something in your Bingo cards this year, but that’s exactly what has happened with the return of Scion. Now known as “Scion by Toyota,” its first product is the Kei-01 (stylized as KEI-01).
The Kei-01 is based off the JDM Daihatsu Hijet Jumbo engineered to comply with U.S. federal safety and low-speed vehicle (LSV) requirements. This makes it street-legal, but with a capped speed of just 40 km/h (25 mph), it isn’t highway legal.
Like its Daihatsu counterpart, the Kei-01 is powered by a 660-cc three-cylinder engine mated to a CVT driving all four wheels. As with any other kei vehicle, it’s positioned to be “affordable yet highly capable and remarkably maneuverable.”
The Kei-01 offers a three-way fold-down cargo bed with a payload of 300 kilograms (600 pounds), an extended cabin design, and all-weather climate control.
Catering primarily to fleet-focused customers, the Kei-01 is intentionally a low-volume, niche vehicle. It will focus on small business owners, farmers and ranchers, delivery and service providers operating in urban environments, and even municipalities and universities.
Assembly in the United States is planned in Princeton, Indiana starting in late 2027 with sales focused on fleets through “Scion by Toyota” dealers. These dealers are selected from current Toyota dealers which will serve as the customer-facing sales channel.
The Kei-01 is part of Scion’s return as a “freedom lab” which Toyota says is “built around bold ideas, curiosity, and possibility.” It builds on Scion’s origins as an experimental brand for Toyota of sorts, giving the Japanese carmaker the space to challenge conventions and experiment with unconventional ideas.
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