The good old times are long gone when the people had only one vehicle for personal and commercial needs when the vehicles were used to transport humans and carry tons of loads along with the furniture. However, at present times, several types of Kei-class trucks available have been designed and manufactured in Japan and the United States.
The major use of the mini trucks nowadays is transporting cargo and goods from one location to another. However, they can only be used for small distances. If you are looking to carry cargo for long distances (from one state to another), it would be best to opt for heavy-duty trucks.
The mini trucks were initially designed and manufactured to be reliable, fuel-efficient, and economical that can be used by farmers, hunters, off-roading, and small enterprises. In Japan, the mini trucks for sale are commonly used for everyday deliveries. The Japanese Kei trucks are available in both four-wheel drive and rear-wheel drive, which makes them the best choice for a comprehensive range of environments and metrological conditions. In addition, mini trucks are small in size, so they fit easily on narrow paths.
What Is A Mini Truck?
A mini truck or a Kei-class truck can be classified as the ones that fall under the classification for size mentioned below:
- Width Of The Mini Truck – 58 Inches Or Less
- Length Of The Mini Truck – 134 Inches Or Less
- Height Of The Mini Truck – 79 Inches Or Less
Furthermore, a truck can be considered as a mini truck only if the engine of the truck is 660 CC or less and the weight of the truck is 1500 pounds or less. When the mini trucks were designed, the manufacturers kept these specifications in mind looking at the narrow streets of Japanese cities. However, the mini trucks made their way all over the globe in a very short time.
Additionally, the majority of the mini trucks can go up to a maximum speed of 120 Kilometers per hour (approximately 75 Miles per hour) due to smaller engine size. The Japanese Kei trucks are also capable of transporting cargo and goods of around 360 kg (800 pounds).
Benefits of Mini Truck
As with every other vehicle, the mini trucks designed and manufactured come with their own advantages and disadvantages. Some of the benefits of preferring mini trucks over heavy-duty trucks are:
- Mini trucks consume less fuel hence saving fuel costs
- Kei trucks are efficient in operating under difficult conditions
- Mini trucks can carry more cargo and are helpful for personal use too
- Kei trucks are affordable and less expensive
- Due to their size, mini trucks are easy to maintain
- Used Kei trucks can be purchased and don’t necessarily have to be new
Mini Truck Brands Should You Consider Before Buying
Once you are aware of all the benefits and uses of the mini trucks for sale, it would be best to know what mini truck brands are the best. So, let us look at a few brands that you must consider before buying.
- Daihatsu Motor Co., Ltd
Daihatsu Motor Co., Ltd., also known as Daihatsu Kōgyō Kabushiki-Gaisha in the Osaka, Japan, is owned by Hatsudoki Seizo and is known to be the child company and subsidiary of Toyota Motor Corporation.
Daihatsu is well-known for designing and manufacturing the best off-road vehicles and three-wheeled vehicles. It offers a comprehensive range of Kei trucks, Kei cars, and Kei vans all over the world at affordable prices.
Founded in 1907 under the name Hatsudoki Seizo Co. Ltd, the succession was done in March 1951, and the vehicles were then sold under the name Daihatsu. However, in 2016, Daihatsu was found to be a complete subordinate of the Toyota Motor Corporation. Some of the best Kei trucks designed and manufactured by Daihatsu Motor Co., Ltd. are:
- Daihatsu Hijet
- Daihatsu Hijet Extended Jumbo
- Daihatsu Hijet Mini Commercial
- Daihatsu Hijet Black Beast
- Daihatsu Hijet Jump Truck
- Honda Motor Company
The Honda Motor Company, also known as Honda Motor Corporation, Ltd., has been owned by Soichiro Honda since October 1946. It is a multinational public commercial that manufactures power equipment, cars, motorcycles, electric generators, trucks, etc., generating more than 14.95 trillion Japanese Yen annually.
The mini trucks designed and manufactured by Honda are famous across the globe due to their straightforward yet functional design and affordable prices. They export more than 100,000 vehicles to the United States of America each year. Some of the best Kei trucks designed and manufactured by Honda Motor Company are:
- Honda Acty
- Honda Acty 4×4
- Honda Acty SDX
- Honda Acty TN
- Honda Acty Dump Truck
- Suzuki Motor Corporation
Suzuki Motor Corporation is well-known for designing and manufacturing small internal combustion engines, outboard marine engines, and automobiles, including cars, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), motorcycles, etc.
Suzuki operates in more than 23 countries with over 40,000 employees in 35 different production facilities. Furthermore, it is the largest distributor of automobiles, with more than 130 distributors in 190 countries across the globe.
Suzuki Motor Corporation is known to be the largest manufacturer of the mini trucks, and their mini trucks are known as the best mini trucks due to their reliability and consistency. In 2022, Suzuki sold the most mini trucks in the United States of America. Some of the best Kei trucks designed and manufactured by Suzuki are:
- Suzuki Carry
- Suzuki Carry 4×4
- Suzuki Carry With Dump Box
- Suzuki Carry Monster Mini
- Suzuki Carry 4WD
Conclusion
The brands mentioned above are famous Japanese mini truck brands as they offer multiple benefits, including durability, reliability, fuel efficiency, etc. However, these are just a few mini truck brands. Some of the other brands include Toyota, Subaru, Mazda, etc. All the mini trucks for sale mentioned above are easily accessible throughout the USA.
