- Japanese micro-truck will be built and sold in the US.
- Rebooted Scion by Toyota brand is now a 'freedom lab'.
- Kei-01 will be road legal in US, but limited to 40km/h.
Toyota Motor North America is relaunching the Scion brand in a very unusual way: with a Japanese kei-truck.
Scion was a US and Canada-only youth brand launched in 2003, focused on sports cars and SUVs, that experimented with different ways of selling and marketing. It was discontinued in 2017.
"Kei" is the Japanese micro-car class, which stipulates maximum length of 3.4 metres, width of 1.48m and no more than 47kW peak power.
How do they go together? TMNA says the "Scion by Toyota" brand reboot is based around the idea of a "freedom lab" that explores new options for mobility.
The Kei-01 is a basic kei-truck with the regulation 660cc 3-cylinder engine, continuously variable transmisison and 4WD. It will be built in the US by Toyota Indiana starting in the second half of 2027, supported by a $34 million investment.
But it will still be manufactured in right-hand drive, as per the Japanese original. To comply US requirements to make it road-legal, it will belong to a low-speed vehicle class and be limited to 40km/h (25mph).
Kei-01 will initially only be available to fleet customers buying other Toyota vehicles, but it could eventually be sold to mainstream buyers.
The company says the tiny truck is more than capable of tackling mud, snow and tricky terrain, with lockable 4WD.
TMNA says it expects interest from small business owners, farmers/ranchers, university and corporate campuses, urban delivery providers and outdoor enthusiasts.
That's the sensible answer, but kei-vehicles also have strong cult appeal in countries outside Japan - including NZ, where they arrive as used imported vehicles.
Other potential baby-vehicle projects for the reborn Scion brand include the SxS concept (a side-by-side performance off-road vehicle) and the BKE concept, a foldable off-road mini-bike that can be stowed in a car's boot.
"Where the Kei-01 emphasises practical utility and the SxS concept showcases off-road performance, the BKE concept opens up the space in between - offering freedom to choose your own direction, to take the unexpected turn, and explore beyond permission," says the company.
