A US-Built Kei Truck Under A Revived Scion Badge Would Be Toyota’s Answer To America’s Mini-Truck Obsession
Toyota confirmed on November 10, 2026 that it’s reviving the Scion name, and the brand’s comeback vehicle is about as far from the old tC and xB as it gets: a 660-cc, three-cylinder kei truck called the KEI-01. Built at Toyota’s Indiana plant starting in the second half of 2027, the tiny four-wheel-drive pickup is Toyota’s direct response to the grey-market kei truck boom that’s had American buyers importing 25-year-old Honda Actys and Suzuki Carrys for years.
The KEI-01 won’t be cheap to skip, though it will be cheaper than most people expect. Toyota says the truck will cost just under $20,000, measures roughly 11 feet long and under 5 feet wide, and carries up to 600 pounds in its bed. It also tops out at 25 mph, which tells you exactly what kind of buyer Toyota is chasing, and exactly where the factory option still can’t match an import.
Why Toyota Built A Truck It Can’t Sell At Highway Speed
The KEI-01’s 25-mph cap isn’t an engineering limitation; it’s a regulatory one. To sell a new kei-style truck in the US without putting it through full passenger-vehicle crash testing, Toyota classified it as a Low-Speed Vehicle under FMVSS No. 500, the federal standard that caps LSVs between 20 and 25 mph. States then decide where LSVs can actually drive, and most restrict them to roads posted at 35 mph or under. That’s fine for farms, campuses, resorts, and in-town delivery runs, which is exactly the customer base Toyota is naming for launch. It’s not fine for anyone hoping to use the KEI-01 the way a stock Japanese Hijet, Acty, or Carry gets used on a rural backroad.
Unlike the KEI-01, 25-year-old imported kei trucks aren’t electronically speed-limited and may legally travel at normal road speeds, depending on the state. Toyota counters with a new vehicle, warranty, and dealer support, but its 25-mph restriction remains a major compromise.
How It Stacks Up Against Importing An Acty Or Carry
A Daihatsu Hijet Jumbo typically costs $7,000 to $10,000 in Japan before shipping, duties, and compliance expenses. The KEI-01’s sub-$20,000 price includes a factory warranty and dealer support, advantages imports lack. However, buyers sacrifice the variety of models and trims available overseas, including 4WD Actys and supercharged Sambars. Initially, the Toyota is also restricted to fleet customers.
Retail sales could follow if demand warrants it, but initially, only select Scion by Toyota dealers will supply fleet customers such as farms, municipalities, and campuses. Buyers needing a kei truck immediately, or one capable of exceeding 25 mph, must still consider imports.
The Cabin, And Two Concepts Riding Along
The KEI-01 keeps its right-hand-drive layout and a straightforward cabin: heat and air conditioning, power windows, push-button start, and a central infotainment screen. The bed sides fold down for easier loading, a detail lifted straight from the kei truck playbook. Toyota also used the reveal to show two concepts under the same new Scion by Toyota badge, a 300-hp turbocharged hybrid SxS off-roader and a BKE personal mobility scooter, though neither is confirmed for production. The KEI-01 is the one actually headed to a factory floor, and the one that answers a demand Toyota clearly decided it could no longer ignore.
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