Even motorists have at least heard about the famous Japanese key cars. However, much less known is the fact that there are also the so-called kei-Tracks. The latter are very popular not only in Japan, but also in many other countries. They are even purchased in the United States. What explains such a demand for Japanese cars?
In Japan, kei-cars and keijidosha are designated as a separate class of cars, which is referred to by the word “keijidosha”. Any “keijidosha” has to meet just two requirements. The first is the dimensions of the vehicle. They should not exceed 3.4 x 1.48 x 2 meters. The second is the volume of the power unit. The engine capacity should not be more than 0.66 liter. For comparison, the “Oka” has the volume of 0.75 liters. In the rest “kejidosha” are quite usual cars. But the small dimensions in most cases make them use the cabover design, when the engine is installed not in front, but under the cab.
Compact cars play a big role in both Japan and many other Asian countries. The first place to buy kei-kars and kei-trucks is in Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam. You can also see them in many other countries. For example, people in the U.S. buy kei-Trucks willingly. Mostly they are bought by rural and provincial residents, mainly by farmers, cattlemen, hunters, hunters and other craftsmen. Moreover, by the standards of the United States, these budget Japanese cars (which are often even used) are sold for ridiculous money. The figures start from 1 thousand dollars.
All over the world, drivers are attracted to Japanese K-trucks by several important factors. First, they are very economical. Average fuel consumption rarely exceeds 3.8 liters per 100 kilometers. Although it should be noted that Japanese companies have many local branches in the same Asian countries, where more powerful engines are often installed to the bodies of kei-karts. It is connected with the fact that outside of the Land of the Rising Sun there are no strict restrictions on engine capacity (at least, for kejidos).
Secondly, as noted above in the U.S. context, key-trucks and key-cars are quite cheap, which is especially attractive to the mass buyer in Asian countries. In the Philippines and Indonesia, it is not uncommon to convert key-trucks from trucks into passenger buses. Thirdly, just like the majority of other Japanese, keijidosha still have a sufficient level of reliability and quality. Remarkably, even the used kei-trucks that come from Japan most often come in good condition.