Toyota’s answer to America’s oversized pickups is just over 11 feet long and can’t go faster than 25 mph. The Scion KEI-01, revealed on Nov. 10, 2026, brings back the Scion name on a three-cylinder kei truck that Toyota will build in Indiana starting in the second half of 2027. Our take: it’s a smart tool for farms, campuses and city delivery routes, and the wrong buy for anyone hoping for a cheap daily driver.
Quick answer: The Scion KEI-01 is a right-hand-drive kei truck with a 660cc three-cylinder engine, a CVT and selectable four-wheel drive. It’s built to federal low-speed vehicle rules, so its top speed is 25 mph. Toyota will assemble it in Indiana from the second half of 2027 and sell it to fleets first. There’s no official price yet.
What is the Scion KEI-01?
It’s a Japanese-style micro pickup sold new in the US by Toyota itself. According to Toyota’s Nov. 10 press release, it uses a 660cc three-cylinder engine with a continuously variable transmission and standard selectable four-wheel drive, with an auto mode and a push-button lock for mud and snow. Toyota hasn’t published horsepower or torque.
The bed folds down on three sides, so you load pallets and feed sacks from a lower height instead of lifting over a tall bed rail. Payload is rated at up to 600 pounds. The cab gets heat, air conditioning and seats that slide and recline, plus storage behind them for tools. It measures under 5 feet wide, which means it fits through gates and barn doors a full-size truck can’t.
Why does the 25 mph top speed matter so much?
Toyota designed the KEI-01 to meet FMVSS No. 500, the federal safety standard for low-speed vehicles. That classification is how a tiny right-hand-drive truck can be sold new here without passing the full crash standards a Tacoma has to meet. The price of that shortcut is the speed cap, and it shapes everything about where you can use the truck.
Your state decides which roads an LSV may use, and many keep them on slower streets. Here’s the mistake to avoid: if the stretch between your shop and your job site includes a 45 mph road, check your DMV rules before you sign anything. Right-hand drive also cuts both ways. Curbside exits help on mail or delivery routes, but every drive-thru window and parking gate will be on the wrong side.
Who can actually buy one?
Not you, at first. Toyota says the KEI-01 will launch through a fleet-focused pilot program, sold by a small group of Scion by Toyota dealers picked from the existing Toyota network. The company named small businesses, farms and ranches, municipalities, universities and corporate campuses as targets. Toyota says it may consider limited retail sales later, depending on demand.
Simon Humphries, Toyota’s chief branding officer, framed the brand as a test bed: “The future of mobility will not be defined by one vehicle.” That’s corporate language for an experiment, and you should read the retail plan the same way. It isn’t promised.
Scion KEI-01 price: how does it compare with rivals?
Toyota hasn’t announced a price. Motor1 reported on Nov. 10, 2026 that the truck will likely cost just under $20,000, which is an estimate, not an official figure. Treat every comparison below as provisional until Toyota publishes an MSRP.
The closest new alternative in spirit is the Slate Truck, which Motor1 reported in June 2026 starts at $24,950 with 181 hp, a 90 mph top speed, up to 205 miles of range and up to 1,550 pounds of payload. The Ford Maverick Hybrid XL starts at $28,145 before destination for 2027, per Motor1’s August pricing report. Both are full-speed road vehicles.
Here’s the price-per-capability math, which is our analysis. At about $20,000, the KEI-01 would cost roughly 80% of a Slate Truck while carrying about 39% of its payload, and it can’t leave the slow lane. If your work happens on one property, that trade makes sense. If it doesn’t, a small pickup like the Ford Fathom or a used midsize truck from our Toyota Tacoma vs Ford Ranger comparison is the better tool.
What does Indiana assembly mean for owners?
Toyota will assemble the truck at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indiana, backed by a $34 million investment that adds about 50 jobs. For owners, the practical gain is a factory warranty and parts through a Toyota-network dealer. Until now, getting a kei truck in the US usually meant buying a used import, with parts sourced through specialist importers.
Fuel use should be low with a 660cc engine, but Toyota hasn’t released any mpg figures yet. If running costs drive your choice, compare against the real numbers in our best gas mileage pickup rankings once Toyota publishes data.
Are the SxS and BKE concepts coming too?
No production promise yet. The SxS Concept, first shown at the 2025 SEMA Show, pairs a turbocharged four-cylinder hybrid making more than 300 hp with a Silent Mode that runs on electric power. The BKE Concept is a compact personal mobility vehicle. Toyota says it will keep developing the SxS, which is a long way from a launch date.
Toyota builds some of the biggest SUVs sold in America, and its newest truck tops out at 25 mph. The Scion KEI-01 will win on one test: whether a fleet manager with 600 pounds to move across a campus picks it over a golf cart. Everything else waits on a price.
Scion KEI-01 questions buyers are asking
When does the Scion KEI-01 come out?
Toyota says production at its Indiana plant starts in the second half of 2027, and the truck reaches US customers in that window. The first units go to fleet buyers through a small group of Scion by Toyota dealers chosen from existing Toyota stores. Toyota hasn’t given a firm retail date, and retail sales aren’t confirmed.
How fast can the Scion KEI-01 go?
Its top speed is 25 mph. Toyota designed the KEI-01 to meet FMVSS No. 500, the federal standard for low-speed vehicles, and that rule caps speed. Your state decides which roads it may use, and many limit LSVs to slower streets. Check your local DMV rules before planning any route that includes faster roads.
Can I buy a Scion KEI-01 as a regular customer?
Not at launch. Toyota will sell the KEI-01 through a fleet-focused pilot program aimed at businesses, farms, municipalities and campuses. The company says it may consider limited retail sales later, based on demand and market conditions. Until Toyota confirms a retail plan, individual buyers should treat it as a fleet-only truck with no public price.