Scion lived a short life, the victim of bad financial timing and millennial misunderstandings. But its parent company, Toyota, is about to give the brand another go—and its market research appears to be spot-on this time, as the Japanese automaker announces a new three-cylinder Kei truck for the U.S. market .

Officially known as the Scion Kei-01, the new model takes traditional Japanese compactness and adds North American levels of capability. The heart of the Kei-01 is a 660cc three-cylinder engine paired with a continuously variable transmission and proper four-wheel drive with push-button lock-up. At 11 feet long and five feet wide, the Kei truck will be even smaller than a modern Mini Cooper.

The Kei-01 will be right-hand-drive, have a maximum speed of 25 miles per hour, and is intended to comply with federal safety requirements for low-speed vehicles.…