The Big Kei Car Myth in the U.S.: Why Not Even Trump Can Convince Americans

Although Donald Trump wants to open the door for Japan’s tiny Kei cars in the United States, the commercial and cultural reality shows that Americans simply don’t want them.

Kei cars have always been a uniquely Japanese phenomenon, tiny runabouts designed to survive the chaos of Tokyo traffic thanks to their compact size and engines that barely reach 80 horsepower. After his recent trip to Japan, Trump claimed to be charmed by these “cute” cars and ordered his Secretary of Transportation to explore lifting restrictions on their importation. But the idea of replicating their success in the U.S. market is wildly unrealistic, especially in a country where driving habits, distances, and buyer preferences couldn’t be more different.

The real issue: Americans don’t like small cars

While it may sound appealing to imagine Kei cars roaming the streets of New York or Los Angeles, market reality is stubborn. Models like the Fiat 500 or Mitsubishi Mirage, far better adapted to the U.S., have struggled for years. Even Smart, a brand that thrives in Europe, pulled out of America entirely due to weak demand and high homologation costs. If small, safe, relatively affordable cars have already failed, what chance would vehicles with 60–70 hp have on highways dominated by 500-hp SUVs?

Beyond size, the second major hurdle is performance and safety. Most Kei cars barely cruise comfortably above 60 mph, making highway merges genuinely risky. Add to that the far tougher U.S. safety regulations compared to Japan, and manufacturers would be forced to redesign these cars from the ground up, driving up development and production costs. From their original 8,000–15,000 dollars in Japan, their realistic U.S. price would climb to around $20,000, not including dealer markups or Trump’s proposed 15% tariff.

Despite all this, there is one niche where Kei vehicles could fit: Kei trucks, which already have a loyal underground following in the U.S. In a country where models like the Ford Maverick and Chevrolet Colorado prove there is demand for small pickups, these tiny Japanese trucks could carve out a modest customer base. But even in that segment, they remain too small and too underpowered for the average American buyer, limiting their appeal to a very niche audience.

Ultimately, Trump’s proposal amounts to yet another media-friendly promise with little real industrial backing. For Kei cars to succeed in the U.S., companies like Toyota or Nissan would need to restructure production and design U.S.-specific models for a demographic that, data shows, simply doesn’t exist. As charming as the Honda S660 or Nissan Sakura may be, if American buyers truly wanted cars this small, brands like Fiat, Smart, and Mitsubishi would be thriving instead of disappearing.