Key facts
- Toyota said the KEI-01 will be classified as a low-speed vehicle, capping its speed at 25 mph (40 km/h).
- The KEI-01 will be offered only as right-hand drive and will feature all-wheel drive, Toyota said.
- Toyota said the truck's bed can carry up to 600 lbs (272 kg).
- Toyota said the trucks will be shipped as knock-down kits to its Indiana assembly plant, adding 50 jobs in mid-2027.
- Toyota said it will not sell the KEI-01 to retail buyers at first, only to fleets.
- Toyota has not announced KEI-01 pricing; the report cites speculation ranging from $10,000 to $28,000.
Toyota announced on November 11, 2026, that it will bring back its Scion sub-brand as "Scion by Toyota" and use it to experiment with less traditional ideas, starting with the KEI-01 kei truck. Toyota killed off Scion more than a decade ago, ending a haggle-free approach and cars aimed at younger buyers in favor of selling more Toyotas.
The KEI-01 will be classified as a low-speed vehicle, so it cannot go faster than 25 mph (40 km/h), and it is available only as right-hand drive, since that is the side of the road Japan drives on. It does feature all-wheel drive, and its bed can carry up to 600 lbs (272 kg). Toyota said the truck suits small business owners in urban environments, farmers and ranchers, organizations with campuses that need facility fleets, delivery drivers and outdoor enthusiasts.
"The future of mobility will not be defined by one vehicle, one technology, or one way of thinking," said Simon Humphries, Toyota's chief branding officer and head of design. "Scion by Toyota gives us a place to challenge conventional thinking, explore new possibilities, and create mobility in new ways."
Toyota will not sell the KEI-01 to retail buyers at first, only to fleets. The trucks will be shipped to Toyota's assembly plant in Indiana as knock-down kits, adding 50 jobs to the plant in mid-2027. Pricing has not been announced; the report cites speculation running from as little as $10,000 to as much as $28,000.
Kei cars are a Japanese vehicle class restricted by size, engine capacity and power output: no more than 11.2 feet (3.4 m) long, 4.9 feet (1.5 m) wide and 6.6 feet (2 m) tall, with engine displacement of no more than 0.66 L and output of 63 hp (47 kW) or less. Japan bought almost 1.7 million kei cars last year out of total sales of 4.6 million vehicles, according to the report.