Toyota is reviving the Scion name as “Scion by Toyota,” a new experimental brand focused on unconventional mobility rather than the quirky cars of its original 2003–2016 run. Its first product is the KEI-01, a diminutive utility truck that brings Japan’s famous kei-truck concept to the U.S. market.
Measuring just over 11 feet long and under 5 feet wide, the right-hand-drive KEI-01 is classified as a low-speed vehicle under FMVSS No. 500. It is limited to a top speed of 25 mph and powered by a 660-cc three-cylinder engine mated to a CVT, with selectable four-wheel drive standard. Despite its tiny footprint, it offers a 600-pound payload capacity in a cargo bed with three fold-down sides and can tow small trailers. The enclosed cabin includes heating, air conditioning, a raised roofline, and sliding seats.
Production will begin in the second half of 2027 at Toyota’s Indiana plant following a $34 million investment that is expected to create about 50 jobs. The KEI-01 will initially be sold in limited volumes to fleet customers—farmers, small businesses, municipalities, universities, and campus operators—through select Toyota dealers. Toyota is positioning the vehicle as a practical experiment in compact, efficient utility transport.
Two additional concepts, an off-road side-by-side and a more lifestyle-oriented BKE, were also shown, signaling Scion by Toyota’s broader role as a “freedom lab” for new mobility ideas.