Still, it is in no way a low-quality vehicle. Currently, it continues to hold its spot in the Indian market as one of their best selling products, due to its status as a pocket-friendly car. The Suzuki Alto was originally intended as a derivative of the Suzuki Fronte, but the name “alto” gained enough popularity to replace the Fronte entirely. It was just way too tiny for Americans! However, it was actually loved in Japan as well as America due to its unique features as one of the first kei cars in the world. Most would have found it peculiar for Subaru to last as long as it did in the States. Surely it was lacking in design, but what’s important was how it picked up Subaru’s sales during their infancy. This was the car that started Subaru’s history in America, it also ignited the love for kei cars in America. The Subaru 360 is a rear-engined, two-door kei car that was nicknamed “ladybug” and was Subaru’s first car product. For those who want a car that is as affordable as it is reliable, then why not skim through these suggestions. If the story above has piqued your interest in kei cars, then I guess it’s time we move on to talk about some of the best kei cars on the market.Īfter all, not all kei cars are the same, and there are just as many variations of them as there are other types of Japanese automobiles. Japanese kei cars came a long way to get to where they are now. That is how the legends like the Autozam AZ-1 and Suzuki Cappuccino were brought to life. The modern kei cars were born in the 1990s when they decided to add 110cc and 100mm longer body shells. Kei cars fought back and gained ground when the 550cc limit was introduced in 1976. Although business was flourishing, the interest in kei cars deteriorated due to the government abolishing benefits for kei car owners. 1955 was hailed as the real birth of Kei cars, and Suzuki Suzulight was certified as the first kei car, while the Subaru 360 became famous around the world (a total of 300000 Subaru was made). The kei class introduced the 150cc limit in 1949, but switched up to 360cc in 1955, and the stream of kei cars overtook the street in the 1960s as a cheap alternative to regular-sized cars. The kei cars soon took the market by storm. Japan emerged as one of the superpowers of the world based on many factors, and kei cars were one of them. The growth of kei cars was thanks to the Ministry of International trade and Industry who looked to kickstart the economy after World War II. In Japan, these tiny kei cars were the way to get the war-torn economy back into motion, and evidently it worked like a charm. At the same time, the Japanese were just warming up to this type of car. Although Kei cars are relatively popular with Japanese customers in almost all age groups, it should be noted that the expansion of this niche market did not gain momentum in foreign markets due to the low profitability, which is again explained by its small size and specialized nature.ĭuring the mid-50s, Europeans were won over by the idea of lightweight, affordable, family-friendly cars and the microcar boom took over.

These funny looking cars dated back a long time ago and stories about these cars will even give a gripping history lesson. Standards that Kei cars must conform to are maximum vehicle sizes, engine capacity, and power output, and in some areas, you don’t even have to confirm that your car can be parked somewhere, since they are guaranteed to fit in any situation. Kei is actually a category devised by the government in 1949 and has been revised a number of times.

In Japan, this is known as the smallest highway-legal passenger car, equivalent to EU A-segment cars. You might have heard of them as microcars, city cars, or ultra-mini. This type of car is actually highly popular in Japan. It’s pretty hard to find foreigners outside of Japan that know what Kei cars look like unless they are petrolheads themselves. These cars are built for a niche market that, as you might have guessed, is based in Japan. In Japan, people call Kei cars Keijidosha or “cars that are light”.

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