"Right now - as the Times article made clear - the Kei cars available here are largely models that are more than 25 years old. As Motor1 reported earlier this week, Trump found the cars appealing on a recent visit to Japan and has asked Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy to clear the way for the production and sale of Kei cars in the United States."
"A Honda Fit currently meets all of my needs, but Honda stopped selling the Fit in the U.S. market in 2020 because of a lack of demand. Arguably, the closest thing to a Kei car that was once sold in the United States - the Smart FourTwo - also exited the market a few years ago. As of 2023, if you were looking to spend less than $20,000 for a new car in the United States, you had exactly one option."
A dedicated community of U.S. Kei car aficionados centers around tiny, low-powered Japanese microcars. Presidential interest emerged after a visit to Japan, prompting a request to the Secretary of Transportation to enable U.S. production and sales. The Department of Transportation requires manufacturers to certify compliance with U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, including crashworthiness and passenger protection. Regulatory approval faces an added barrier in long-term U.S. consumer preferences that have shrunk demand for very small cars. Compact models like the Honda Fit and the Smart FourTwo have left the U.S. market, and affordable new-car options under $20,000 are extremely limited.
Read at InsideHook
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