New Nissan & Mitsubishi “Kei” Cars - Japan
Posted: Thu Mar 14, 2019 5:48 pm
I saw this today and just thought that some information on these small Japanese Kei Cars (an explanation is below) might be of interest as they just seem ideal for the City & Parking. Nissan and Mitsubishi are to launch new “Kei Cars” as their collaboration expands - Dave 
Production of the all-new Nissan Dayz, Nissan Dayz Highway Star, Mitsubishi eK wagon and Mitsubishi eK X began today 14.03. at Mitsubishi’s Mizushima Plant in Kurashiki, Japan. For the first time, the models will be offered with semiautonomous driving technology, designed for single-lane use on highways.
https://newsroom.nissan-global.com/rele ... 90314-01-e
Just so everybody knows this is an explanation of what a “Kei” Car actually is :
Those tiny cute cars you see in Japan that vaguely represent our smart cars or Fiats are known as "kei cars." The kei vehicle class is a hyper-specialized Japanese-for-Japan-only class of vehicle. These were meant to jumpstart the country's automotive industry after World War II by creating a class of vehicles that were more than a motorcycle but not as expensive as normal, full-size cars.
A kei car can only be so long (originally 9.2 feet/2.8m, now 11.2 feet/3.4m), so high (6.6 feet/2m), and so wide (originally 3.3 feet/1m, now 4.9 feet/1.48m). Additionally, there are strict limits on engine size (starting at 150cc, now 660cc) and, since 1990, horsepower.
The big benefit for a Japanese driver is that they don’t have to prove they have somewhere to park, which is a normal requirement for any passenger vehicle in rural areas of Japan. Plus, kei car owners pay much less in taxes and registration fees.
The newest kei vehicles we can get will be under the 1990 requirements, which dictated that the engine size was allowed to go to 660cc, but engine power was capped for the first time at 63hp. Any kei car eligible for US import will be, at max, 660cc in displacement, 10.8ft long, 4.6ft wide, and 6.6ft tall. Import a kei car made before 1990, and they could be even smaller! (The most recent regulation change allowing for bigger cars only took place in 1998, which means those vehicles won't be eligible for another five years.)
While kei vehicles are tiny and easy to make cute noises at, they are 100 percent capable and serious vehicles. Modern staples such as air conditioning, power steering, anti-lock brakes, and even airbags are available. These are fully functional cars, just shrunk down in stature. Kei cars are size- and displacement-restricted, sure, but they are still relied on, beat into the ground, and responsible for untold amounts of commerce within Japan. What's more, kei cars come in all variations that normal-sized cars do, from mid-engined sports cars to 4×4 diff-locking dump trucks.
Just as a mention the old Suzuki Alto used to be around and I also found this Suzuki Alto Turbo RS which seems to be interesting for a small car (Might be of interest
)
Production of the all-new Nissan Dayz, Nissan Dayz Highway Star, Mitsubishi eK wagon and Mitsubishi eK X began today 14.03. at Mitsubishi’s Mizushima Plant in Kurashiki, Japan. For the first time, the models will be offered with semiautonomous driving technology, designed for single-lane use on highways.
Just so everybody knows this is an explanation of what a “Kei” Car actually is :
Those tiny cute cars you see in Japan that vaguely represent our smart cars or Fiats are known as "kei cars." The kei vehicle class is a hyper-specialized Japanese-for-Japan-only class of vehicle. These were meant to jumpstart the country's automotive industry after World War II by creating a class of vehicles that were more than a motorcycle but not as expensive as normal, full-size cars.
A kei car can only be so long (originally 9.2 feet/2.8m, now 11.2 feet/3.4m), so high (6.6 feet/2m), and so wide (originally 3.3 feet/1m, now 4.9 feet/1.48m). Additionally, there are strict limits on engine size (starting at 150cc, now 660cc) and, since 1990, horsepower.
The big benefit for a Japanese driver is that they don’t have to prove they have somewhere to park, which is a normal requirement for any passenger vehicle in rural areas of Japan. Plus, kei car owners pay much less in taxes and registration fees.
The newest kei vehicles we can get will be under the 1990 requirements, which dictated that the engine size was allowed to go to 660cc, but engine power was capped for the first time at 63hp. Any kei car eligible for US import will be, at max, 660cc in displacement, 10.8ft long, 4.6ft wide, and 6.6ft tall. Import a kei car made before 1990, and they could be even smaller! (The most recent regulation change allowing for bigger cars only took place in 1998, which means those vehicles won't be eligible for another five years.)
While kei vehicles are tiny and easy to make cute noises at, they are 100 percent capable and serious vehicles. Modern staples such as air conditioning, power steering, anti-lock brakes, and even airbags are available. These are fully functional cars, just shrunk down in stature. Kei cars are size- and displacement-restricted, sure, but they are still relied on, beat into the ground, and responsible for untold amounts of commerce within Japan. What's more, kei cars come in all variations that normal-sized cars do, from mid-engined sports cars to 4×4 diff-locking dump trucks.
Just as a mention the old Suzuki Alto used to be around and I also found this Suzuki Alto Turbo RS which seems to be interesting for a small car (Might be of interest
)
