A Diahatsu Canbus “kei” car in Kyoto, Japan
Alistair Barr/Insider
“Kei” cars are small, light and cheap. And they’re cute. They are all over Japan, including big cities such as Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka.Here are the most interesting tiny cars I saw on a recent trip to Japan, along with my top pick.
Vehicles are getting bigger and heavier in the US, which makes them more dangerous. And the larger they get, the less efficient they become.
I recently saw a Cybertruck up close and was surprised by its size. When I got to Japan a few weeks later, the contrast was shocking.
Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, and other locations were awash with tiny “kei” trucks, cars and vans. These cities have thin, weaving side roads that would never be able to handle most American SUVs and trucks. These small vehicles are perfect for getting around busy, dense locations.
Kei is short for Keijidosha, which means “light automobile” in Japanese. New ones can be purchased for the equivalent of less than $10,000, about a fifth of the average US new vehicle price. Kei cars are also lighter, so even though most are still gas-powered, they are efficient. Some Suzuki Alto models can get at least 80 miles per gallon, roughly triple the US average.
Downsides: It’s tight in there, especially for someone over 6 feet like me. There are also safety questions. For passengers, these small vehicles may not perform as well as big vehicles in crashes. While I was in Japan, Daihatsu, a leading Japanese “kei” car manufacturer owned by Toyota, halted production after admitting it had been forging safety tests for 30 years.
Still, I was won over by these kei cars. Here are my favorites from a December visit, my top pick, and one surprise.