Kei Truck or Kei Van?Same 660 cc platform, same 350 kg rating — and two completely different tools
Not sure which to buy? Read the kei truck buyer’s guide →
Kei truck vs kei van: the same 660 cc class, two different vehicles
A kei truck and a kei van are built on the same regulated platform — 660 cc, under 3.4 m long, under 1.48 m wide — and are often the same model name with a different body. The Suzuki Carry and the Suzuki Every are siblings. So are the Hijet Truck and the Hijet Cargo. What changes is everything above the frame, and that changes what the vehicle is good for. Search for a kei truck van and you will get both — which is exactly the confusion this page is here to settle.
Kei truck
Open bed, three-way drop sides, no height limit, hoses out. Dirty and oversized loads.
Kei van
Enclosed, lockable, dry, two or four seats. Tools, stock and camper builds.
Kei truck vs kei van, side by side: what actually differs
| Kei truck | Kei van | |
|---|---|---|
| Rated payload | 350 kg | 350 kg (2 occupants) / less with 4 seats used |
| Load height limit | None — you can stack above the sides | Roof height, roughly 1,200–1,400 mm inside |
| Loading access | Three sides drop flat | Sliding side door plus rear doors |
| Load floor height | Approx. 650 mm — waist height, easy to slide onto | Similar, but you step or reach in through a door opening |
| Weather | Open. Needs a tarp or a canopy | Dry and sealed |
| Security | Nothing locks | Everything locks |
| Dirty loads | Ideal — soil, manure, gravel, fence posts, livestock crates | Poor — the smell and the mess stay in the cabin |
| Long loads | Overhang freely with the tailgate down | Limited to the interior length |
| Seats | 2 (a few grades have a small rear bench) | 2 or 4 |
| Cab comfort | Engine under or behind the seat — more noise and heat | Same layout, but a larger sealed cabin |
| Camper conversion | Needs a box or a canopy built on | Ready shell — the usual starting point |
| Dump / tipper version | Common | Does not exist |
Figures are typical for 1990s and 2000s kei models and vary by maker, generation and grade. Check the individual listing for the vehicle you are considering — those details are supplied by the seller.
Which one is right for your work?
Choose a kei truck if…
- the load is dirty, wet, heavy or awkward — feed, compost, gravel, timber, fence posts, drums
- you load with a shovel, a bucket or over the side
- the load is longer than the vehicle
- you want a dump bed
- you want to hose the load area out afterwards
- the truck lives outdoors on a farm, ranch or job site
Choose a kei van if…
- the load must stay dry and out of sight — tools, stock, parcels, equipment
- you leave the vehicle loaded overnight
- you carry more than two people some of the time
- you are building a micro-camper or a mobile stall
- you drive it on public roads more than you work it
- you want a quieter, warmer cabin
The middle ground: a kei truck with a canopy
Many kei trucks in Japan are fitted with a fabric tilt frame or a hard canopy over the bed. That keeps the load dry while leaving the three-way drop sides intact, and it comes off when you need the open bed back. It is not as secure or as sealed as a van, but for a buyer torn between the two it is usually the cheaper answer — and listings with a canopy already fitted appear regularly.
Every kei truck van has a truck sibling, and the other way round
If you already know which maker you want, the van version is usually the same mechanical package. The drivetrain choices — 2WD or 4WD, manual or automatic, and on the truck side the diff lock and the extra-low gear — carry over between the two bodies, though the heavy-duty farming grades are a truck-only thing.
| Maker | Kei truck | Kei van | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suzuki | Carry | Every | Also sold as the Every Wagon with higher trim and better seats. The Mazda Scrum, Nissan NV100 Clipper and the Minicab Van from 2014 are OEM Everys |
| Daihatsu | Hijet Truck | Hijet Cargo | Widest choice of both bodies; the Atrai is the passenger version of the van |
| Honda | Acty Truck | Acty Van / Street | Mid-engine layout on both, so the van floor sits a little higher |
| Subaru | Sambar Truck | Sambar Van / Dias | Rear-engine until 2012, with the inline-four EN07. From 2012 it is an OEM Daihatsu Hijet |
| Mitsubishi | Minicab Truck | Minicab Van / Bravo | Also badged as the Nissan NV100 Clipper and the Mazda Scrum in some years. From 2014 it is an OEM Suzuki Every |
| Toyota | Pixis Truck | Pixis Van | Badge-engineered Daihatsu Hijet, from 2011 — too new for the US 25-year rule until 2036 |
Kei truck vs kei van: what each one costs
Vans generally sit a little above trucks of the same age and mileage, for two reasons: the passenger-trim versions were more expensive when new, and a van measures more, so it costs more to ship. The gap is usually a few hundred dollars FOB and a little over a hundred in freight.
| Kei truck | Kei van | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical FOB band | $1,500–3,800 | $1,800–4,400 | van roughly $250–600 higher |
| Measured volume | approx. 9 m³ | approx. 9.5 m³ | van about 0.5 m³ more |
| Ocean freight at $130–170 / m³ | $1,170–1,530 | $1,235–1,615 | van about $65–85 more |
| Landed at a West Coast port (C&F) | $2,700–5,300 | $3,000–6,000 |
Reference ranges, not quotations. Prices are set by the selling company and move with condition, mileage, grade and drivetrain — a farming-grade truck with a diff lock can cost more than a plain van. C&F excludes US import duty, customs and broker fees, port charges and inland trucking.
Compare the two against live stock
The bands above are a guide. The stock itself moves daily, so the honest comparison is the one you make on the inventory: open both lists side by side and filter for the same year, drivetrain and mileage.
Kei vans in stockImporting: the rules are the same for both
A kei van and a kei truck are treated identically at the federal level. Both need to be 25 years or older by date of manufacture to be imported for road use in the USA, and both face the same state-by-state registration question afterwards. The body style does not change the answer.
Age
25 years from the month of manufacture on the door-jamb plate, not the model year. See the 25-year rule →
Registration
Decided by your state, and it varies widely. Some states register both freely; some allow neither on the public road. Check your state →
Shipping
A van measures slightly more than a truck — roughly 9.5 m³ against 9 m³ — so ocean freight is a little higher. See freight by port →
This section is general information compiled by UCARWORLD from public sources. It is not legal advice. Please confirm import eligibility and state registration yourself with the relevant authorities.
UCARWORLD is a platform connecting Japanese sellers with overseas buyers. We are not the seller; the contract of sale is formed between buyer and seller. Vehicle information is supplied by the seller. Payment is received by UCWORLD Co., Ltd. as a collection agent. About UCARWORLD’s role →