The 25-mph KEI-01 targets American fleets with a 660cc engine, on-demand four-wheel drive, and a footprint half the size of a pickup.
Toyota is bringing back the Scion badge as an experimental mobility incubator rather than a youth hatchback brand. Its first product, the KEI-01, is a 25-mph kei truck built in Indiana and aimed at American fleets. The truck pairs a 660cc three-cylinder gas engine with a continuously variable transmission.
Toyota discontinued Scion in 2016 after aiming the brand at younger buyers with hatchbacks. Used kei trucks have grown popular in the US, with more than 30,000 imported since 2020 and roughly 7,500 arriving each year. President Trump has said he authorized the Department of Transportation to approve their production.
At roughly 11 feet long and under 5 feet wide, the KEI-01 occupies about half the footprint of a full-size pickup, so it can thread through cramped alleys, barn aisles, and campus pathways. An on-demand four-wheel-drive system with a push-button locking mode splits power across all wheels on mud, gravel, and slush.
The KEI-01 arrives in the second half of 2027 with an interior heavy on black plastic and light on premium materials. Toyota positions Scion as a testing ground for utility, outdoor adventure, and customization that fits no other model line. Pricing will decide whether fleets adopt the truck in volume.
What matters
- Toyota will sell the KEI-01 under the revived Scion badge starting in the second half of 2027.
- Fleet operators can test a low-speed hauler that fits alleys and campus paths standard trucks cannot reach.
- Watch whether Toyota prices the KEI-01 low enough to offset its bare black-plastic interior.
Why it matters
Watch whether Toyota prices the KEI-01 low enough to offset its bare black-plastic interior.
This GenAI News article was prepared in original wording using reporting and materials published by The Verge. Source reference: https://www.theverge.com/transportation/1031554/oyota-scion-kei-01-truck-revival.
Drafted by the GenAI News review pipeline.