Toyota Is Finally Bringing a Kei Truck to America, but It Tops Out at 25 MPH

Assembled in Indiana under the resurrected Scion banner, the compact KEI-01 arrives in late 2027 for fleet buyers.

Summary

Toyota is reviving the Scion brand to launch the miniature KEI-01 pickup truck in the United States in late 2027

Measuring just over 11 feet long with a 660cc engine and four-wheel drive, the right-hand-drive truck tops out at 25 mph under federal low-speed vehicle rules

Assembled in Indiana, the KEI-01 will initially launch through a limited pilot program for fleet customers via selected dealers

Toyota is bringing Japan’s miniature pickup culture stateside with the new KEI-01, a compact utility truck launching under the revived Scion brand in the second half of 2027. Reintroduced a decade after its discontinuation around the “freedom to explore mobility in new ways,” Scion will debut the pint-sized truck as a practical alternative to full-size American pickups.

Measuring just over 11 feet long and under five feet wide, the right-hand-drive KEI-01 is powered by a 660cc three-cylinder gasoline engine paired with an automatic transmission and selectable four-wheel drive. Despite its compact footprint, the truck hauls up to 600 pounds in a three-way fold-down cargo bed and can tow small trailers. Inside the enclosed extended cabin, drivers get heating, air conditioning, sliding and reclining seats, and rear storage for tools. To meet federal low-speed vehicle safety regulations, however, the truck tops out at 25 mph—restricting it in many states to roads with speed limits of 35 mph or less.

Backed by a $34 million USD investment creating roughly 50 jobs, assembly will begin at Toyota’s Indiana factory in the second half of 2027.

The Scion KEI-01 drops in late 2027 through a limited fleet pilot program via selected dealers for businesses, farms, and universities, with broader retail sales and pricing to be announced later