Toyota to launch small truck in the US in the second half of 2027
Toyota will invest US$34 million to prepare an Indiana plant for assembly, while expecting demand from buyers seeking affordable commercial vehicles.
- Toyota will launch its KEI-01 ultra-compact utility truck in the US in the second half of 2027, starting with a limited trial to assess market demand.
- The vehicle is classified in the US low-speed category, with a maximum speed of 25 mph, and is targeted at commercial users like small businesses and farmers.
- It will be assembled at a plant in Indiana using parts from Toyota's subsidiary Daihatsu and will be the first product for the new "Scion by Toyota" brand.
Toyota will put its KEI-01 ultra-compact utility truck on sale in the US in limited numbers in the second half of 2027, using the trial to assess demand before considering a wider launch.
No price has been disclosed for the vehicle, whose launch was announced on Tuesday (November 10) by Toyota Motor North America Inc., a US subsidiary of Japan’s Toyota Motor Corporation.
The company anticipates interest from small businesses, farmers and operators handling city deliveries who need affordable commercial transport.
Many states permit the truck on public roads, although it belongs to the US low-speed vehicle category and cannot exceed 25 miles per hour.
Japan’s “kei” light trucks provided the starting point for the model developed for the US market.
The KEI-01 also gives Scion by Toyota its first product, with the new brand dedicated to experimenting with ideas and concepts.
Toyota will invest US$34 million to prepare an Indiana plant for assembly.
The project will use parts for the Jumbo light truck, made by Toyota subsidiary Daihatsu Motor Co., Ltd. as part of its Hijet range.
Toyota will export those components from Japan.
US President Donald Trump’s favourable stance towards small vehicles is also thought to have played a part in Toyota’s decision.
In a social media post last December, he stated that he would permit US production of “tiny cars”, a category in which Japanese carmakers excel.
[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
