Toyota announced a new sub-brand called Scion by Toyota on Tuesday, which will first start by selling a genuine kei truck, the 11-foot-long KEI-01, in the United States in the second half of 2027. The truck is sold as the Daihatsu Hijet and Toyota Pixis in other markets, and the U.S.-spec KEI-01 will be right-hand-drive and powered by a 660cc three-cylinder engine that sends its power through a continuously variable transmission to all four wheels. Though Toyota didn’t announce official power figures, the 660cc three-cylinder produces about 50 horsepower in other applications. Regardless of how much power it makes, the KEI-01 will be limited to a top speed of 25 mph in order to comply with low-speed vehicle (LSV) regulations.
At the same event where it showed media the KEI-01, Toyota also brought out its Scion SxS Concept, a gasoline-electric hybrid side-by-side that first debuted at the SEMA show in 2025, and the BKE Concept, a collapsible electric micromobility bike. Only the KEI-01 is officially headed to production in the second half of next year, and it will be built in Toyota’s Indiana manufacturing facility.
The KEI-01 is for fleets only
Toyota says the KEI-01 will feature standard selectable four-wheel drive with an auto mode and a push-button lock up for tackling more treacherous terrain. Its tiny truck bed is enclosed by three-way fold-down cargo walls to make loading and unloading easier, and the extended cabin design allows for sliding and reclining seats. It has a payload capacity of 600 pounds in the bed, and structural rigidity for towing small trailers and equipment.
The KEI-01 is intended for “select use cases,” according to Toyota, and will initially only be sold to fleet customers through a network of participating Scion By Toyota dealers. A Toyota spokesperson said the company may consider retail sales of the KEI-01 at a later date, but for now they envision it as a solution for small business owners, ranchers, and operators where space and efficiency are at a premium.
Logan K. Carter/ Jalopnik
Scion by Toyota is launching what’s called a “freedom lab,” which it says is all about exploring mobility possibilities. The hybrid SXx and electric BKE are two examples of that, with the SxS serving as high-speed, high-adrenaline off-road fun machine, and the BKE being a “concept designed to expand the possibilities of how people move through and experience the outdoors.” It reads as Toyota’s answer to the Honda Motocompacto, which we are quite fond of, and Toyota says it folds up small enough to fit into the trunk of a GR86. Both the SxS and BKE are strictly concept vehicles, so Toyota has not announced formal plans to produce either vehicle just yet.
