Toyota K-Car comes to the United States! New sub-brand transforms into outdoor style route

Toyota announced the launch of a new brand "Scion by Toyota" in the United States. It continues the Scion brand's spirit of courage to experiment and pursue personalization in the past, and re-creates a new brand with innovative mobility, outdoor exploration and diverse vehicle needs as its core. The first model, KEI-01, is a super mini truck derived from the Japanese light commercial vehicle concept. It is equipped with a 660c.c. three-cylinder engine, CVT continuously variable transmission system and four-wheel drive. It is expected to debut in the United States in the second half of 2027.

Scion by Toyota is positioned as Toyota's innovative experimental platform, hoping to explore future mobility through different vehicle concepts.

Among them, KEI-01 focuses on practicality and flexibility, with a length of about 3.35 meters and a width of less than 1.52 meters. It is in right-hand drive configuration and has a top speed limit of 25 miles per hour (about 40 kilometers). It complies with US low-speed vehicle safety regulations. The vehicle features selectable four-wheel drive, a three-way opening cargo bed, an enclosed air-conditioned cabin, and a load capacity of up to 600 pounds (approximately 272 kilograms), making it suitable for use in farms, commercial distribution, corporate campuses, and outdoor activities.

Toyota stated that KEI-01 will initially operate as a small-scale fleet trial operation and provide vehicles through designated dealers. In the future, it will evaluate whether it will be opened to general consumers for purchase based on market demand. The new car will be assembled at the Toyota plant in Indiana, USA, and is expected to be put into production in the second half of 2027, with an investment of US$34 million and the creation of about 50 new jobs.