Silver 2001 Daihatsu Hijet 4x4 M/T kei truck

October 22, 2026 Farhad Musazada

Kei Truck vs. Polaris Ranger, Can-Am Defender and Kubota RTV: Specs Side by Side

By Farhad Musazada, owner of Skyline Kei Trucks. Last updated: October 22, 2026. Based on Polaris, Can-Am and Kubota model and specification pages, Suzuki's 1999 Carry catalog, Honda's 1999 Acty release and the Texas Transportation Code; specs and prices checked October 22, 2026; UTV prices are starting MSRPs before destination and setup (sources at the end). General information, not legal advice.

Key facts

Bed floor: A 1999 Suzuki Carry's flat bed is 76.4 × 55.5 in (Suzuki), about twice the floor of the 2027 Ranger XP 1000's 36.75 × 54.25 in box (Polaris) or the Defender's 38 × 54.5 in (Can-Am).
Weight rating: Kei truck: 350 kg (about 770 lb). Ranger XP 1000: 1,500 lb payload, 1,000 lb in the box. Defender DPS CAB HD10: 1,200 lb payload. Kubota RTV-X Cab: 1,102 lb in the box (Kubota).
Towing: 2,500 lb for the Ranger and Defender, 1,300 lb for the Kubota; Suzuki's 1999 Carry catalog lists no tow rating.
Power: 82 hp for the Ranger XP 1000 and Defender HD10, against 41 to 49 hp for a 1999 Carry (55 hp turbo). None of these makers publishes a top speed.
Cab: Every kei truck has an enclosed cab. A UTV with a factory cab, heat and A/C starts at $24,399 (Defender DPS CAB HD10) or $29,999 (Ranger XP 1000 NorthStar), 2027 MSRP before destination.
Texas roads: A titled kei truck registers as a “miniature vehicle” (SB 1816); TxDMV “may not register an off-highway vehicle” for highway use (Sec. 502.140).
Insurance: The county can't register a kei truck without proof of financial responsibility such as liability insurance; Texas minimums are 30/60/25 (Sec. 601.072).

How do the specs compare?

We took each UTV's figures from its maker's U.S. pages on October 22, 2026: 2027 models for Polaris and Can-Am, and Kubota's current RTV-X Cab. The kei column is Suzuki's January 1999 Carry catalog (DA52T/DB52T); Honda rated the 1999 Acty at 46 PS (Honda), and the Hijet and Sambar figures are in our top speed guide. A dash means the maker's pages don't give the figure.

	1999 Suzuki Carry (kei truck)	Polaris Ranger XP 1000 (2027)	Ranger XP 1000 NorthStar (2027)	Can-Am Defender DPS CAB HD10 (2027)	Kubota RTV-X Cab
Engine	657 cc 3-cylinder gasoline	999 cc twin-cylinder	999 cc twin-cylinder	Rotax 976 cc V-twin	Kubota D1105 diesel
Power	42–50 PS (41–49 hp); turbo 56 PS (55 hp)	82 hp	82 hp	82 hp	—
Top speed	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published
Drive	Part-time 4WD with high/low transfer; 5-speed manual or 3-speed automatic	On-demand AWD; automatic PVT with high and low	On-demand AWD; automatic PVT with high and low	2WD/4WD/turf, auto-locking front differential; CVT with high and extra-low	4WD, locking rear and limited-slip front differentials; VHT-X hydrostatic
Payload	350 kg (about 770 lb)	1,500 lb	1,275 lb	1,200 lb	—
Bed or box rating	350 kg (the payload)	1,000 lb	1,000 lb	1,000 lb	1,102 lb
Bed or box inside (L × W × D)	76.4 × 55.5 × 11.4 in	36.75 × 54.25 × 12.5 in	36.75 × 54.25 × 12.5 in	38 × 54.5 × 12 in	— (hydraulic dump standard)
Towing	None listed	2,500 lb	2,500 lb	2,500 lb	1,300 lb
Seats	2	3	3	3	—
Cab	Enclosed cab with doors; A/C optional	Roof and cab nets; heat and A/C are accessories	Factory cab, powered doors and windows, heat and A/C	Sealed cab, locking doors, heat and A/C	Factory cab with heat, A/C and defrost
Fuel tank	40 L (10.6 gal)	11.5 gal	11.5 gal	10.6 gal	—
Length × width	133.7 × 58.1 in	120 × 62.5 in	120 × 65 in	121 × 62 in	—
Starting MSRP	See our cost guide	$21,799 plus $1,195 destination	$29,999 plus $1,595 destination	$24,399–$25,099 plus transport and preparation	Not shown on Kubota's pages

Polaris figures for the XP 1000 come from the Premium trim's spec page (Polaris); $21,799 is the line's starting price. Can-Am also sells a second-generation Defender with an 80 hp three-cylinder HD10 from $19,799, or $27,499 as the XT CAB with HVAC (Can-Am). Kubota's U.S. lineup now lists the RTV-X Cab and RTV-X Crew as its full-size diesels and no longer shows the RTV-X1100C; Kubota's 2024 release put the RTV-X Cab in dealers from February 2025 (Kubota).

Which one hauls more?

By weight, the UTVs. Polaris rates the Ranger XP 1000 for 1,500 lb in all and 1,000 lb in the box, and Can-Am rates the Defender DPS CAB HD10 for 1,200 lb, against 350 kg (about 770 lb) for a kei truck. By space, the kei truck: its flat floor is about 29 square feet, against about 14 in the Ranger's and Defender's boxes, and the depth is close (11.4 inches against 12 to 12.5). For light, bulky loads, that is roughly twice the room.

Towing is a UTV job. Polaris and Can-Am rate these models for 2,500 lb and Kubota the RTV-X Cab for 1,300 lb; Suzuki's catalog lists no tow rating for the Carry, so we don't quote one. Kubota makes a hydraulic dump box standard on the RTV-X Cab; on the kei side, look at a factory kei dump truck. The Kubota is also the only diesel here.

All four UTVs drive all four wheels, and so do 4x4 kei trucks. The Carry's part-time 4WD has a high/low transfer case; the 1999 Acty used Honda's automatic real-time 4WD instead. Our 4x4 guide explains each make's system.

What do you get in the cab, and how much power?

Every kei truck has an enclosed cab with doors and glass, because it was built as a road truck. Air conditioning was an option in 1999 at both Suzuki and Honda, so not every truck has it. On UTVs, the cab is what drives the price. The 2027 Ranger XP 1000 starts at $21,799 with a roof and cab nets, with heat and A/C as accessories; the NorthStar with a factory cab, heat and A/C starts at $29,999. Can-Am's Defender DPS CAB starts at $21,499–$22,099 with the 65 hp HD9 (heat and ventilation, no A/C listed) and $24,399–$25,099 with the 82 hp HD10 and full HVAC.

The UTVs seat three across; a kei truck seats two. The Ranger XP 1000 and Defender HD10 make 82 hp, roughly twice a 1999 Carry's 41 to 49 hp (55 hp turbo). None of these makers publishes a top speed, so we can't compare them on paper; our top speed guide covers how kei trucks do in Texas traffic.

Where can each one drive in Texas?

This is the biggest difference, and our kei truck vs. UTV guide covers it in detail. A 25-year-old kei truck can be titled and registered as a “miniature vehicle” under SB 1816 and then driven on public highways if it can operate in compliance with traffic laws. A Ranger, Defender or RTV is an off-highway vehicle: TxDMV “may not register an off-highway vehicle” for use on a public highway (Sec. 502.140), except state, county or city vehicles used for public safety. Its road use is limited to chapter 551A's exceptions, such as daytime farm trips of up to 25 miles with an orange flag and streets a city has opened at 35 mph or less.

How do registration and insurance differ?

Kei truck. You title it once and keep its registration current like any pickup; our Texas title guide walks through the county visit. A county tax assessor-collector “may not register the motor vehicle” without proof of financial responsibility (Sec. 502.046), and the Texas minimums are $30,000 per person and $60,000 per collision for injuries plus $25,000 for property damage (Sec. 601.072). Our kei truck insurance guide has more.

UTV. No registration, so no insurance check at the county. For the street uses chapter 551A allows, an off-highway vehicle displays an OHV license plate from TxDMV, for a fee of up to $10, and the plate doesn't expire (Sec. 551A.052); farm trips under Sec. 551A.057 need no plate. Texas's compulsory-insurance chapter covers a “self-propelled vehicle designed for use on a highway” (Sec. 601.002), while a utility vehicle is “designed by the manufacturer for off-highway use only” (Sec. 551A.001), so ask your agent how your policy covers a UTV on a county road.

Which one fits which job?

Feed and fencing runs on county roads, or trips between leased pastures: a titled kei truck.
Towing a trailer or implement: a UTV, rated 1,300 to 2,500 lb here.
Dense loads over about 770 lb, like stacked feed sacks or gravel: a UTV.
Bulky, light loads such as mulch, brush or hay bales: a kei truck, with about twice the floor.
Steep, rocky ground: a UTV. Polaris lists 14 inches of ground clearance on the Ranger XP 1000, and our UTV guide covers off-road ability.
Rain and cold on a budget: a kei truck. Every one has a cab, while a UTV with a factory cab, heat and A/C starts at $24,399 here.
Deer lease: either; see our deer lease guide.

They also work as a pair: the UTV stays in the pasture and the kei truck covers the road. Browse our kei trucks, compare one with a compact pickup, or read why we sell 25-year-old trucks instead of new off-road Hijets.

Frequently asked questions

Is a kei truck faster than a Polaris Ranger or Can-Am Defender?

The spec sheets can't settle it: Polaris, Can-Am and Kubota don't publish top speeds for these models, and neither do the kei makers. The Ranger XP 1000 and Defender HD10 have about twice the horsepower of a 1999 kei truck. Our top speed guide covers kei trucks in traffic.

Can I register a Ranger or Defender for the road in Texas?

Not with regular plates. TxDMV may not register an off-highway vehicle for highway use (Sec. 502.140). It can get an OHV plate for the narrow street uses in chapter 551A; our UTV guide lists them.

Which carries more, a kei truck or a UTV?

By weight, the UTV: 1,000 to 1,102 lb in the box on these models, against 350 kg (about 770 lb) for a kei truck. By floor space, the kei truck, with about twice the area.

Is the Kubota RTV-X1100C still sold?

Kubota's current U.S. lineup lists the RTV-X Cab and RTV-X Crew as its full-size diesel utility vehicles, and the RTV-X1100C isn't on it. The RTV-X Cab has a factory cab with heat and A/C, a 1,102 lb hydraulic-dump box and a 1,300 lb tow rating (Kubota).

Sources

Written by Farhad Musazada, owner of Skyline Kei Trucks

Farhad imports more than 300 kei trucks a year to Houston and meets buyers at the lot at 6100 Harvey Wilson Dr. He writes these guides from the paperwork our buyers take to the county tax office and the official sources listed on each page. Spotted something out of date? Email us and we will check it.

Ready to look? Browse kei trucks for sale in Houston, see what is in Houston now or arriving soon, or call or text (713) 385-9798.

All vehicles are sold by Wideway Motors LLC as is, with no warranty.