Kei trucks are a Japanese phenomenon that is sweeping the Western world. Rural America is going crazy over the tiny Japanese trucks, taking advantage of a transport rule that allows importation of vehicles over 20 years old.
They are buying trucks off Japanese websites for $USD2,000, shipping them to California for another $USD1,400 and getting them certified and on the road for $USD4,000 all-up.
Best of all, there’s a 4WD version of every Kei truck on the market. Subaru, Suzuki, Honda and others build Kei trucks, which have small displacement engines to meet beneficial Japanese road tax categories. There’s a lot of clever engineering in these tiny packages. Subaru’s Sambar, for example, has its engine at the rear and there’s a large access hatch built into the cargo space for maintenance.
There’s also a Kei version of the Suzuki Jimny, with a three-cylinder turbocharged engine.
Overseas, devotees of wee trucks can even buy an electric ute, the Pickman.
They are some of the most capable and versatile trucks in the world. They can go anywhere and are easily modified. Whether it’s for hunting, fishing, farming, or just plain mud crawling, mini trucks are fun, capable, and efficient.
Many of these trucks were made to be used on farms and construction sites.
Kei trucks can be as narrow as 140cm (55 inches) wide. This allows them to go down trails that are too narrow for traditional vehicles and trucks.
A Kei truck will even fit in the bed of a full-size pickup truck like a Ram or Chevrolet Silverado.
In New Zealand, expect to pay anywhere between $1,800 and $12,000 for a Kei truck. Farmers are buying them because they can either be registered for road use or left unregistered and used solely on the farm. At the other end of the price scale, there are 2023 Kei trucks around for $23,000.
Kei truck key features
• Conventional driving with full two-seater cab and doors. This means no helmets are required.
• Useful size tray, reduces the need to tow a trailer.
• Quiet, smooth-running 660cc EFI, three-cylinder, petrol engine with five-speed manual or auto transmission and high/low ratio gearbox.
• Many have diff locks as standard.
• Uses half the fuel of other quad and side-by-side vehicles.
• Seatbelts, radio, and heater are standard. Many of the latest models have air conditioning, power steering, airbags and more.
