We love kei cars, if that’s not already incredibly obvious. However, these tiny, characterful cars, built specifically for Japan’s dense cities and narrow streets, have never really gained a foothold outside of the country, despite it being far from the only place where space on the roads can sometimes be at a premium.
That looks as if it could be starting to change in Europe, though, and particularly the UK, which is currently in a unique position to allow kei cars – electric ones, specifically – to succeed. We’ve already seen hints at this with the arrival of the boxy Honda Super-N on British shores, and now, speaking to Autocar, Suzuki’s UK division has confirmed that it’ll launch a competitor next year.
Suzuki Vision e-Sky concept – front and rear
Suzuki UK boss David Kately confirmed to the publication that an EV, belonging to the A-segment, will arrive in the UK next year, and said that it’s a “vitally important” car. “It’s an entrant in a different segment for us and I’m very excited about its prospects.”
It’s rumoured to be a production version of the boxy Vision e-Sky, an electric kei car concept that was unveiled at last year’s Tokyo Motor Show. Should it come to the UK, it’ll be a nailed on rival to the Super-N, which starts at £18,995.
Honda Super-N – front
The Super-N isn’t technically a kei car: its boxy arch flares mean it breaches the maximum width for the class, and while it generally runs the kei car limit of 63bhp, activating the Boost performance mode bumps that to 94bhp. It is, however, based on the Japanese-market N-One e, which is a fully fledged kei car.
The UK represents a fairly unique opportunity for Japanese manufacturers to market cars like this. The Government’s ZEV mandate means that car companies will face fines if an increasing percentage of their UK sales aren’t fully electric ahead of the planned 2035 ban on combustion cars (although there are rumours this will be eased in the face of weak demand), so getting affordable EVs on sale here is vital for manufacturers.
Honda Super-N – rear
Not only that, but unlike the rest of Europe, the fact that the UK and Ireland drive on the left means minimal re-engineering for right-hand drive Japanese cars, which is part of the reason why Britain is the only European market getting the Super-N.
We seriously hope the likely arrival of the production e-Sky heralds the beginning of a kei car influx to Britain, although it’s not the only thing that could herald a new wave of small, affordable EVs: the EU is busy working on its own ‘E-Car’ regulations, which will bring a similar set of restrictions to kei car rules but with an emphasis on European production. Cars like the excellent Dacia Hipster concept could fall under this potential ruleset.
Dacia Hipster concept
Either way, though, it looks like small, characterful and affordable cars are making a comeback, with models like the reborn Renault Twingo and the upcoming Citroen 2CV revival already leading the way. With most cars only getting more serious and expensive, it can’t come soon enough.
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