Toyota to sell Kei-01 ultra-compact truck in US from second half of 2027

Launch plan

Toyota Motor North America announced on Tuesday, 10 November 2026, plans to bring the Kei-01 ultra-compact utility truck to US buyers from the second half of 2027. The truck was developed for the US market on the basis of Japan's kei light trucks and is the first product under the new Scion by Toyota brand, which Toyota shut in 2016. It has a 660 cc three-cylinder engine with four-wheel drive and will be assembled at Toyota's plant in Indiana, where the company plans to invest $34 million and add 50 jobs. Parts for the Jumbo light truck, part of Daihatsu Motor's Hijet series, will be exported from Japan for that work. The price has not been disclosed. Early sales will be limited and on a trial basis, aimed at fleet buyers such as small businesses, farmers and urban delivery operators, and Toyota will assess demand before any wider rollout. Initial sales are reserved for commercial buyers taking at least ten units, though Toyota may later consider limited retail sales.

Road rules and safety

Under federal rules the Kei-01 falls into the low-speed vehicle category, which caps top speed at 25 miles per hour (40 km/h). Toyota says the truck complies with federal low-speed vehicle safety standards. Such vehicles are generally barred from roads with speed limits above 35 mph, although many states allow them on public roads. Enthusiasts who want kei vehicles in the US typically import models at least 25 years old, since older vehicles are exempt from federal safety and emissions standards. In Japan, kei vehicles use engines of no more than 660 cc and must stay within 3.4 metres in length and 1.48 metres in width to qualify for tax breaks. Kei cars made up a third of the 3.7 million new vehicles sold in Japan in 2025.

Trump's role

Trump has long admired Japan's small boxy vehicles. In a social media post in December 2025, he said he would allow the manufacture of 'tiny cars' in the United States. He also reportedly directed the transportation secretary to allow production and sale of such cars. Toyota has not said whether the Kei-01 launch was a response to that call.

After returning from Japan in late 2025, Trump said of the vehicles:

“They're very small, they're really cute, and I said 'How would that do in this country?'”

Toyota's wider US push

Toyota pledged $10 billion in 2025 for its US manufacturing operations. Alongside the Kei-01, the company showed two other Scion prototypes, an off-road vehicle called the SxS and a two-wheel electric scooter named BKE. Full-size US pickups have grown bigger, heavier and more expensive over recent decades, and the best-selling Ford F-150 averages about $68,000 according to Kelley Blue Book. The Kei-01 is a sharp contrast with that segment, but because Toyota has not disclosed its price, the cost gap cannot yet be measured.

Indiana plant investment (2026)34

Toyota US manufacturing pledge (2025)10,000

Indiana plant investment (2026)

34 USD million

Toyota US manufacturing pledge (2025)

10000 USD million

Data from the article text