Rumours have been circulating that new laws will prevent kei cars from being imported into Australia. However, unless there is an undisclosed change to ADR 85 (Australian Design Rules), most imported kei cars should remain compliant.
Recent updates
Recent online discussions suggested that the Australian Government was either introducing new restrictions or already blocking kei car imports due to non-compliance with ADR 85.
These claims are misleading, and you will find further discussion on the Reddit community:
Reddit discussion: Suzuki Spacia Hybrid
Reddit discussion: SEVS import law changes
What is ADR 85?
DR 85 tests a vehicle’s Pole Side Impact (PSI) performance. The regulation involves launching a test vehicle into a pole to assess its safety.
This standard has previously prevented certain models, such as the Lexus IS and Lexus RC, from being sold in Australia.
Which cars need to comply with ADR 85?
ADR 85 applies if:
- The car’s original manufacture date is on or after 1 November 2021.
- The build date range of the model starts on or after 1 November 2017.
The date of original manufacture is defined as the date the vehicle was first made available to a consumer in any market.
Source: ADR applicability rules (see Section 10)
How do kei cars comply with ADR 85?
DR 85 follows the United Nations’ World Forum for Harmonisation of Vehicle Regulations. Specifically, Section 7 of ADR 85 states that compliance with UN Regulation 135 is sufficient.
Japan adopted UN Regulation 135 for all new cars on 15 June 2018. However, to ensure kei cars met the requirement, Japan successfully lobbied for a reduced testing speed of 26 km/h (instead of 32 km/h) for vehicles under 1.5m wide.
UN Regulation 135 amendment (Annexure 3, Paragraph 8.7)
Japan’s justification to the UN
Why the confusion?
The Suzuki Spacia, one of the kei cars in question, has not had its SEVS approvals revoked. However, its original manufacture date and build date start in December 2017 – before Japan adopted UN Regulation 135.
This has led to speculation, but no official action has been taken against kei car imports as of now.
Will kei cars be sold in Australia?
Mitsubishi appears to be considering launching its newest EV kei car in Australia. The possibility of more kei cars arriving remains open.
Chasing Cars review of Mitsubishi’s EV kei car: