Japan's cutesy kei cars hit bumpy road

Tokyo

YOKO Kojima loves zipping around Tokyo in her Daihatsu Tanto with its tiny wheels and pint-sized engine, but Japan's beloved kei cars may have a rocky road ahead despite a legion of loyal fans.

Sales of the cutesy box-shaped cars, a staple of the world's No 3 vehicle market, drove off a cliff after peaking at 2.27 million units in 2014.