In an era of supersized pickups and SUVs, Kei cars and trucks bring a (very) little piece of Japan to the United States.

Many states still disallow the use of Kei trucks on public roads. Pennsylvania— Popular Mechanics’ home state—is no exception ...

This is no small penalty: The import tariff on light duty trucks was set at 25%. That’s stiff enough to deter quite a bit of overseas competition, and as some automakers have learned, difficult ...

Unlike small imported cars, small imported trucks are protected by a 55-year old 25 percent import duty imposed by President Johnson. — John Goreham/BestRide.com. Auto news.

Unlike small imported cars, small imported trucks are protected by a 55-year old 25 percent import duty imposed by President Johnson. — John Goreham/BestRide.com. Auto news.

Toyota and Nissan have sold small pickups since the late 1950s. Not in any large numbers however. And, the United Auto Workers (UAW) aimed to keep it that way.

Ford Motor is considering a return to the U.S. small-pickup truck market, which it abandoned by axing its Ranger in December 2011. Ford is scouring its international models for one that it could ...

This is, of course, neglecting to remember the dozens of small truck failures over the years, like the GMC Sonoma, and the Chevrolet S-10, and the Ford Ranger, and the Mazda B-Series, and the ...

The clock is ticking on Ford Motor Co.'s ancient Ranger compact pickup, the plant where it is built and maybe the entire compact pickup segment. Next year, Ford will close the St. Paul, Minn ...

Small imported trucks like Datsun soon became a practical alternative to American made pickups because they were maneuverable, fun to drive, and offered better fuel economy.

Unlikely because kei trucks are small – shorter and much lighter than a Mini Cooper – and have engines weaker than the smallest Harley Davidson, with a top speed of 70 mph on a good day.

It's a sturdy looking truck and Kate can get a four-door crew cab starting at $27,748. The 4.0-litre V-6 – 261 horsepower – is a bit thirsty, though. That's a problem for Kate.