Japanese kei (literally “light”, which is from the full name keijidousha, or “light vehicles”) vehicles first came into being 20 years ago. They are a separate class of vehicles in Japan, under regular cars, which are called futsusha (literally “regular cars”, surprisingly). They are built within certain size and CC limitations to qualify for this class. In addition to the obvious fuel economy benefits, they also qualify for tax breaks.
Since most urban driving speeds are so low in Japan (how many hours have I waited at red lights while taking 30 minutes to cover a few kilometers?), there is little need for a very much horsepower for city driving in this nation where two thirds of the population lives in built-up areas. And if you do have a house with a parking space here, you can find that it is only just large enough to park on of these micro-vehicles anyway.
If you are interested in these kei cars, you might want to check out our Japanese car auctions to see all the different varieties that are available.
Provide Cars, we provide you with the largest selection of vehicles available from 115 car auctions in Japan each week
