Rugged-looking kei cars seem to be having a moment in 2026. The Mitsubishi Delica Mini’s adventure-themed builds stole the show at this year’s Tokyo Auto Salon, while bodykit manufacturer DAMD recently released its take on an outdoorsy Suzuki Spacia Gear.
Each build inspires some confidence to take a 660cc engine into the great outdoors, and it all starts with one thing: Color. Or paint, if you’d like to get technical. Arguably, the most popular hue is some form of dark beige or khaki. Mitsubishi offers the Delica Mini in a similar shade, while Honda released its N-Box Joy in a clean-looking Dark Beige Pearl finish.
Now, Mazda has joined the fray with its Flair Crossover kei car and its new Woodland Khaki Metallic color. It looks great, and it complements Flair’s retro-looking styling very well—especially those halo-shaped headlights. However, the Japanese carmaker has also equipped its kei car with some helpful additions to make it stand out even more.
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First things first, the Flair Crossover is actually sold as a rebadged Suzuki Hustler, giving it the same 63hp from a turbocharged mill. A 4WD drive system is also available, but the latest updates are to the car’s suite of safety features.
Adaptive cruise control is now on board, along with a new blind spot monitor and four new front parking sensors. A new low-speed forward braking support system has also been added, which works in tandem with the new sensors.
Overall, it’s a fairly basic package that looks easy on the eyes—and that’s really all a kei car is and should be. Well, until you install a tent on its roof and replace the rubber with all-terrain tires. The possibilities are truly exciting.
