After a decade on the sidelines, Scion returns under the name Scion by Toyota as a focused experiment in new kinds of mobility. The first vehicle to carry the badge is the KEI-01, an ultra-compact utility truck that draws directly from the kei trucks long common on Japanese roads. Toyota showed the truck on November 10, 2026, and plans to begin deliveries in the second half of 2027.
At just over 11 feet long and less than 5 feet wide, the KEI-01 sits smaller than many modern compact cars and weighs under 2,000 pounds. The KEI-01 has a right-hand drive cabin with a raised roofline and an extended exterior design, providing ample space for folding and reclining seats, as well as secure storage behind them for your tools and gear. Even when the weather outside is not cooperating, standard heat and air conditioning can keep the interior comfortable. To round out the basics, there is a cab-mounted rear view camera and push button start.
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The KEI-01 is powered by a 660cc three-cylinder engine mated to a continuously variable transmission. Selectable four-wheel drive is standard, with an auto mode that allows the system to decide how to distribute power between the axles and a push button lock for when you need equal power to each wheel to get through extremely rough terrain. The front suspension is independent, and the rear is a solid axle configuration, so it can manage itself; but, to comply with safety and pollution requirements, the top speed is limited to 25 mph.
One useful feature of the KEI-01 is the ability to fold down the rear bed in three sections, which helps to keep the load low and makes loading from the sides or back easier. The payload capacity is 600 pounds, and it can tow small trailers and equipment, making it ideal for small-scale farms, campuses, city streets, or just private land where a full-size truck would be too heavy to handle.
Production of the KEI-01 is planned to begin at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indiana later in 2027, with a $34 million investment and around 50 new employment. However, the initial sales will be to fleets only, which means small businesses, farmers and ranchers, local councils, universities and corporate campuses, and delivery services, as it will be sold through a limited network of Scion by Toyota dealers who will be handpicked from the existing Toyota network. Toyota has stated that they will allow for a limited number of retail sales in the future, if demand and operating standards are met.
Along with the KEI-01 concept, we got a look at two other ideas: the SxS is a compact side by side with a turbocharged hybrid powertrain that produces over 300 horsepower, an electric-only silent mode, and plenty of suspension travel for off-road use, and the BKE is a tiny personal vehicle that falls somewhere between a pure utility vehicle and a light adventure machine. At the present, these are simply concepts, but the KEI-01 will be the first to enter production.
The KEI-01 is a ready-made option for anyone who require a short, narrow, four-wheel-drive truck that can handle a useful load at low speed without spending a fortune or lugging around a large pickup truck. It is constructed right here in the United States. This is a cautious first move in reviving the Scion brand with some practical, specialized automobiles, rather than a full-fledged return to the past’s youth-oriented image.
