Business idea: Would you buy a Kei car in the US?

[justme1969]

Have you thought of just shipping the engine/trans combos I would love a 1.1 litre turbo diesel 5 speed in my civic. That would be supreme!

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by justme1969

Have you thought of just shipping the engine/trans combos I would love a 1.1 litre turbo diesel 5 speed in my civic. That would be supreme!

Maybe that would be easier and more profitable.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Nowadays there are many Chinese "replicas" of kei trucks, which maybe would have a higher appeal for budget-oriented customers. I spotted this one in Uruguay, and yes, it was streched and fitted with an auxiliary axle...

Its cab design shows it's based on the Daihatsu Hijet.

[GreenHornet]

Originally Posted by Honda100

Hi all,

I've been toying around with an idea I've had for a while. I have a "Kei Car", a Kia Morning diesel that does around 64 mpg US in the city and 72 on the freeway. It's a 1.1 liter K-spec (Korean market) car and is about the same size as my Suzuki Alto, so it's a "Kei car". Sure it's gutless, but come on...70 mpg. Haha.

If there were parts availability for these cars and they were available to purchase left hand drive ready to run, I personally think I would spring the cash for one in the U.S. My hometown is very packed and anything small like this would be a dream to have.

So I guess my question is, would you personally considering buying something like a Kia Morning diesel, or any other left hand drive Kei car if parts were available and they were 100% emissions legal?

Just seeing if there's any potential interest before I start doing more research on bring some Kei cars over....

Thanks,
Honda100

Hmm well we all ready have vehicles that fill this void. Geo metro can get 55+ Mpg and around 70mpg with the right kind of driving. The Honda Insight can get 60mpg and upwards of 100mpg again with the right kind of driving. These vehicles can be bought pretty inexpensively at the moment. There are others also currently that fill this void. The Chevy Spark fits the category and it is coming out in all electric shortly.

The other side of it is if a person wanted a high mileage vehicle they could easily modify an existing one all ready here in the states and get it licensed without much problems.

I think it would be to much hassles and red tape to even consider it. We have some of the strictest and priciest regulations in the world when it comes to transportation.

If you are looking to get into the world of cars this idea most likely would not net you any kind of reasonable profit I am sorry to say. You most likely will be losing lots of money on a venture like this. There are easier and better ways to break into the automotive US market than possibly importing Kei class cars.

This is only my opinion and only 1 opinion so I would say if you are gonna do it try it with one car ans see how it goes and simply go from there. Who knows maybe I am completely wrong and you turn it into a success. What I am saying is don't let me or others discourage you from your ideas or dreams. Some of the craziest ideas turn out to be the best!

Good luck,

GH :-)

[AdamR]

Originally Posted by Honda100

Hi all,

I've been toying around with an idea I've had for a while. I have a "Kei Car", a Kia Morning diesel that does around 64 mpg US in the city and 72 on the freeway. It's a 1.1 liter K-spec (Korean market) car and is about the same size as my Suzuki Alto, so it's a "Kei car". Sure it's gutless, but come on...70 mpg. Haha.

If there were parts availability for these cars and they were available to purchase left hand drive ready to run, I personally think I would spring the cash for one in the U.S. My hometown is very packed and anything small like this would be a dream to have.

So I guess my question is, would you personally considering buying something like a Kia Morning diesel, or any other left hand drive Kei car if parts were available and they were 100% emissions legal?

Just seeing if there's any potential interest before I start doing more research on bring some Kei cars over....

Thanks,
Honda100

Did anything ever come of this? How did/would you handle the NHTSA restrictions?

I would be really interested in the Suzuki Every, or the Daihatsu Hijet variants.

[deejaaa]

here's a good read about them:
10 Crazy Japanese 'Kei' Cars That Were Designed On Acid

[Grant-53]

I can remember seeing a Honda 600 here and only one. My in-laws moved from VW Beetles to the early Civics. What I have seen over the last 30 years is that foreign cars got bigger, such as Corolla and Subaru, and domestic cars got smaller. The big issue here is not engine size but wheelbase for comfort.