While I would have preferred that my first ever drive in a Kei car would have been at the helm of a sweet, sweet Honda Beat, that's not how things turned out.
Instead, I got to drive this 1996 Daihatsu Hijet mini truck.
My buddy bought it for hunting, small jobs and general running around on his rural property rather than getting a side-by-side ATV type machine... primarily because the mini-truck is enclosed and has heat. And cost $3500.
Specs:
- 3-cyl, 660 cc, SOHC 6-valve engine with 44 PS (43 hp)
- 5-speed manual trans
- ~1500 lbs curb weight
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daihatsu_Hijet
Unfortunately, my driving experience was limited to bouncing down a muddy, bumpy road. I never got past 2nd gear.
I would have loved to get it up to 80 km/h / 50 mph (secondary highway speed limit), to see how the gearing & handling was.
My friend sometimes drives it into town, but he says he would not drive it on the highway.