Kei Cars & Trucks from Japan: Their Growing Popularity & How to Import them to the US

Kei cars and Kei trucks are a Japanese phenomenon and have been local to Japan since 1949. Made to spur vehicle ownership in Japan, Kei cars and trucks are properly compact and are legally limited to 3.4 m (11.2 ft) in length, 1.48 m (4.9 ft) in width and 2.0 m (6.6 ft) in height. The engines in Kei cars and trucks are also limited to under 660cc. Unsurprisingly, Kei cars and trucks have grown in popularity in the Asian markets, and have gained a cult like following in the United States with most being imported under the 25-year rule. You can find plenty of Kei cars on a budget at under $5,000 USD. We're seeing growing popularity in Kei car and truck imports to the US, as importing vehicles becomes more affordable, some owners either import as a fun project, while others operate Kei trucks and cars as part of their business.

The Most Popular Kei Cars & Trucks 

While Kei cars are legally limited a certain size, and their engine displacement restricted to 660cc, Kei cars vary from utilitarian pick up trucks, to wagons, and even convertible sports cars. Here's the run down of the most popular Kei cars and trucks to legally import to the United States. Unsurprisingly, most Kei car importers spring for the Kei sport cars.

Kei Car

1. Honda N-One
2. Suzuki Jimny
3. Mitsubishi eK (legal to import to the US starting  in 2026)

Kei Sport Cars

1. Honda Beat 
2. Honda S660
3. Autozam AZ-1
4. Daihatsu Copen (legal to import to the US starting  in 2027)
5. Suzuki Cappuccino
6. Subaru Vivio RX-R
7. Suzuki Alto Works
8. Daihatsu Mira TR-XX Avanzato

Kei Trucks

1.  Daihatsu Hijet 
2. Suzuki Carry
3. Subaru Sambar

Kei cars are now also being made in electric car variants. However these electric Kei cars are not year importable under the 25 year rule. 

US Laws on Kei Cars

The beauty of the 25-year car import law in the US is that any car 25 years and older can generally be imported to the US, trouble free. Registering your Kei car should also be a breeze as most states only require that your lights, brakes, wipers, and seatbelts function, However, you should watch out for certain states that place limitation on Kei cars in everyday use. States like Georgia limit Kei cars to 65mph and do not allow them to be operated on the highway.  Beware of also hoping to register your Kei car in Rhode Island or Maine, as these states have outright banned their registrations for road use. 

Import a Kei Car

Once you've sourced your Kei car in Japan, we get to work getting it safely shipped to the US via a shipping container. We offer dedicated and shared container service from Japan to one of our warehouses in the US. Ready to start shipping? Contact our team today.