Toyota’s Scion KEI-01: What U.S. Buyers Should Know

What is Toyota’s Scion KEI-01?

The KEI-01 is an ultra-compact utility truck that Toyota plans to bring to the United States under a new name, Scion by Toyota. Toyota introduced the brand and the truck at events in Michigan and Texas on November 9, 2026. The company says the vehicle is expected to arrive in the U.S. in the second half of 2027. ¹

“Kei” refers to Japan’s keijidōsha category, a classification for light automobiles. The KEI-01 is described as a kei truck: a compact work vehicle rather than a conventional full-size pickup. ² Toyota has not yet published a full set of U.S. specifications in the material available here.

Will U.S. buyers be able to buy one?

That is not settled. The initial plan is a fleet-focused trial program, not a general retail launch. Toyota will use that program to test the market. If demand is strong, the company says limited retail sales could follow. ²

For someone hoping to order one for personal use, the practical answer is to wait for more details. Toyota has not confirmed that individual buyers will be able to purchase a KEI-01, or said when orders might open. The announced 2027 arrival is a target for the vehicle’s U.S. introduction, not a promise that it will be available at every dealership. ¹²

What is known about its size and power?

Car and Driver reports that the KEI-01 is essentially a rebadged Daihatsu Hijet Jumbo, and says the truck is expected to weigh less than 2,000 pounds. It reports a 660-cc, three-cylinder engine, a continuously variable automatic transmission, and all-wheel drive. ²

These are reported details, not a complete Toyota specification sheet for the U.S. version. The sources do not provide confirmed U.S. measurements, payload or towing figures, fuel economy, safety equipment, or a final configuration. Buyers should treat the reported figures as provisional until Toyota publishes the vehicle’s specifications.

Where will Toyota build the KEI-01?

Car and Driver reports that the truck will be assembled at Toyota’s plant in Princeton, Indiana, the same facility where the Grand Highlander and Sienna are built. ² Toyota’s announcement confirms the brand and vehicle introduction, but the supplied announcement text does not include manufacturing details. ¹

The relationship to Daihatsu is relevant because the Hijet is the reported basis for the KEI-01. Toyota also sells other Daihatsu-based kei vehicles under its own Pixis name in Japan, including the Pixis Truck, according to the supplied background source. ³ That history helps explain the model-sharing approach, but it does not establish the final design or equipment of the U.S. truck.

Why is Toyota using the Scion name again?

Toyota describes Scion by Toyota as a new brand focused on curiosity, possibility, and exploring different kinds of mobility. The KEI-01 is its first announced vehicle. ¹ The announcement presents the name as a way to introduce a new type of vehicle, rather than announcing a broad return of the former Scion lineup.

For U.S. buyers, the key issue is not the name alone. It is whether Toyota moves from a fleet trial to retail sales, and what price, features, and support it would offer if it does. Those details have not been announced in the supplied sources. Until they are, the KEI-01 is best understood as a planned U.S. vehicle with uncertain individual-buyer availability.