Brad Anderson
- Nissan has received over 20,000 Roox orders since late August.
- Trump called kei cars “cute” after his Japan visit in September.
- Japan’s kei car market is led by Honda, Suzuki, and Nissan.
President Trump’s recent visit to Japan may have been politically charged, but it also brought an unexpected spotlight to one of the country’s most popular automotive segments, the so-called kei cars. For Nissan, that couldn’t have come at a better moment.
More: Trump Saw These “Really Cute” Cars In Japan And Now Wants Them On US Roads
Shortly after returning to the US from his trip to Japan, President Trump said the cars he saw there were “very small, they’re really cute,” ordering Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to relax laws that prevent them from being sold locally.
Whether that actually happens is questionable, but the remark alone has sparked fresh interest in a category of cars that rarely gets attention here in the US, unless it’s tied to grey-market buyers running into legal import issues.
Still, the timing works out nicely for Nissan. Just a few months ago, it pulled the covers off the latest generation of its Roox kei car, and it’s already become something of a local hit.
Kei Car Sales
Earlier this week, Nissan said that since the new Roox was unveiled in late August, it has received more than 20,000 orders for it in Japan. This new model will go head-to-head with BYD’s first kei car, unveiled as the Racco in October.
While it seems unlikely that these tiny cars, charming as they may be, will sell well, or at all, in the United States, they remain a crucial part of the Japanese market.
Data from the Japan Light Motor Vehicle and Motorcycle Association reveals that in November, the Honda N-Box was the best-selling kei car, shifting 16,198 units, placed it comfortably ahead of the Subaru Spacia with 12,904 sold, reports Nikkei.
Read: Nissan’s Tiny Kei Car Hides A Big Surprise Inside Its Boxy Little Body
The Nissan has climbed up the list, shifting 7,741 in November, a significant 43 percent increase from October and up 41 percent from November last year.
Nissan president and chief executive Ivan Espinosa recently expressed his willingness to partner with other firms in the US for future products and powertrains. A tie-up with Mitsubishi and Honda could be one of Nissan’s best options.
For now, though, Nissan hasn’t indicated any plans to build kei cars stateside, despite Trump’s interest. If the company can find a way to make the economics work, it’s possible the Roox could eventually find a place on American streets.
