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Toyota’s Scion Brand Returns With Japan’s Forbidden-Fruit Minitrucks

Toyota is bringing Japanese mini trucks to the United States by reviving its defunct Scion brand. The automaker plans to launch a right-hand drive, three-cylinder utility vehicle named the KEI-01. Production for the Scion-branded utility truck is slated for an Indiana plant, with vehicles scheduled to reach American roads in 2027. This move introduces compact commercial mini trucks, previously forbidden fruit in the U.S. market, under a familiar nameplate.

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⚡ Key Developments & Real-Time Context
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  • ✓ Toyota is bringing mini trucks to the US market under the revived Scion brand.
  • ✓ The new vehicle is named the KEI-01 and features a 3-cylinder engine.
  • ✓ The vehicle will be a right-hand drive truck arriving on U.S. roads in 2027.
  • ✓ An Indiana plant will manufacture Toyota's Scion-branded utility truck.
🛡️ Source Corroboration: 8 independent reporting domains (100% confidence) ⏱ Read time: ~2 min

What changed

Toyota officially announced the return of the Scion brand to introduce a new right-hand drive three-cylinder kei truck called the KEI-01 for the U.S. market.

Live updates

  1. Toyota Revives Scion Brand for U.S. Kei Truck Market

    Toyota is bringing Japanese mini trucks to the United States by reviving its defunct Scion brand. The automaker plans to launch a right-hand drive, three-cylinder utility vehicle named the KEI-01. Production for the Scion-branded utility truck is slated for an Indiana plant, with vehicles scheduled to reach American roads in 2027. This move introduces compact commercial mini trucks, previously forbidden fruit in the U.S. market, under a familiar nameplate.

    Why it matters

    The Scion brand previously operated as a youth-focused experiment for Toyota before being phased out. Bringing kei trucks to the United States marks a major shift into the ultra-compact utility vehicle segment. Manufacturing these vehicles domestically in Indiana highlights Toyota's strategy to meet local regulatory and supply chain demands.

    What is confirmed

    • Toyota is bringing mini trucks to the US market under the revived Scion brand.
    • The new vehicle is named the KEI-01 and features a 3-cylinder engine.
    • The vehicle will be a right-hand drive truck arriving on U.S. roads in 2027.
    • An Indiana plant will manufacture Toyota's Scion-branded utility truck.

    What to watch next

    • Confirmation of exact pricing and trim levels for the KEI-01
    • Details on safety and federal homologation for right-hand drive kei trucks in the U.S.
    Sources used for this update (8)
    1. finance.yahoo.com — Yahoo Finance - Stock Market Live, Quotes, Business & Finance News
    2. WSJ — Toyota’s Scion Brand Returns With Japan’s Forbidden-Fruit Minitrucks
    3. Reuters — Toyota to bring mini trucks to US market
    4. Toyota USA Newsroom — Toyota Says ‘Okei’ to America: Introducing the Scion by Toyota Brand and KEI-01
    5. Car and Driver — Toyota Revives the Scion Name on a Kei Truck That Will Reach U.S. Roads in 2027
    6. Road & Track — Scion Is Back, and It’s Bringing a Right-Hand Drive 3-Cylinder Kei Truck to the U.S. Market
    7. Fox 59 — Indiana plant to manufacture Toyota’s Scion-branded utility truck
    8. www.wallstreetzen.com — Sandisk Stock Price Today (NASDAQ: SNDK) Quote, Market Cap, Chart
    confidence 100%
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