- Toyota sub-brand Scion is back after a decade-long hiatus.
- Its first production model is the Scion KEI-01, a tiny truck available to fleets.
- A pair of concepts give us an idea of what to expect from “Scion by Toyota.”
Roughly 10 years after Toyota pulled the plug on its style-forward, affordable sub-brand, Scion is back for a second act. It debuts today as a new sub-brand with the official title “Scion by Toyota.” This time, the Japanese automaker is essentially using that name to usher kei cars into the United States for the first time. With the recent launch of the Fiat Topolino, perhaps there is a renewed interest in that kind of tiny vehicle here in the U.S. So, what can shoppers expect from the new Scion?
At its core, Scion by Toyota will be an innovation lab for new mobility tactics, serving as a safe space away from the more structured and consumer-focused limitations of the main Toyota marque. Here, Toyota will be able to develop one-offs, concepts, and even production models that take a different approach from what you’ll find inside a typical Toyota dealership.
Scion KEI-01
With this announcement comes the debut of one of those production models, the KEI-01. A true kei car in its footprint and design, the KEI-01 is a low-powered micro-truck motivated by one of Toyota’s foreign 660cc 3-cylinder engines. It routes power through a continuously variable transmission (CVT) and is 4-wheel drive (4WD), though the exact platform it rides on is unclear at this time. Top speed is limited at 25 mph. At only 11 feet in total length, it is nearly six feet shorter than the Ford Maverick and 3.5 feet shorter than the new Slate Truck.
In addition to its limited top speed, the KEI-01 will be right-hand-drive like your neighborhood mail truck. Still, it musters a healthy 600-pound payload rating. It comes with two rows of seats and “ample” cargo room behind them. Toyota didn’t try the trick tailgate trend on its latest Tacoma or Tundra, but it did here. The KEI-01’s bed has three different methods of access, all with the intention of making loading easier.
Affordable Work Truck
Toyota believes small business owners “looking for an affordable urban commercial vehicle” will be the KEI-01’s ideal customers. Think farmers, ranchers, municipalities, universities, and even delivery services. It will go on sale in the second half of 2027 and is to be assembled at the company’s venerable Indiana manufacturing facility.
Will you be able to go out and buy one right away? Not exactly. For the initial rollout, Scion by Toyota will sell the KEI-01 to fleets that align with the target markets mentioned above. These sales will initially take place through Scion by Toyota dealers selected from current Toyota dealerships. Toyota says it may consider expanding availability to limited retail sales if feedback determines it necessary.
New Concepts
As for concept cars, Scion’s got a couple of those to show off as well. The SxS and BKE Concepts represent the culmination of the brand’s fresh, new ideas. The SxS is a “purpose-built side-by-side” powered by a hybridized turbocharged 4-cylinder engine, while the BKE is more of a vision for what micro-mobility can look like in the 2020s and beyond. While the original Scion was heavily inspired by the import-tuner scene of the 2000s, the new Scion concepts are born of the ongoing off-road trend we’re in now.
Like Slate’s upcoming electric truck, it remains to be seen how businesses truly react with their wallets to a vehicle like the KEI-01 that is so rudimentary in execution. Toyota’s support could be all the justification people need to give it a chance. Stay tuned as we learn more about Scion’s second coming.
