Watch our you tube video for a full review!

Mad Dogs & Englishmen have around 100 vans driving around Australia every day! They are our main tool of the trade, and without a van, we cant walk the dogs!

Since the demise of the Citroen Berlingo in Australia (Citroen stopped Importing them in 2024), we have been struggling to find a reliable, affordable alternative. With Vans breaking down almost every week - it was the biggest challenge facing our franchisees. Not only did we have the massive inconvenience of trying to work out how we are going to get the dogs to the park, (whilst watching yet another van being towed off into the distance!), we also had to deal with expensive repairs - not what anyone wants to be spending their hard earned cash on!

Kei Cars are a Japanese category of ultra-compact vehicles, popular for their affordability, fuel efficiency, and ability to navigate crowded urban areas. So, during a recent trip to Japan, when i saw these vehicles, I thought they would be perfect for dog walking! I Imported 2 of them to test them out and here is what I found:

• Great Value - Even with Shipping, Quarantine, Compliance, Towing & Brokers Fees (Totalling around $8,000 all up). They still represent much better value than the European equivalents - costing around double that for a VW Caddy or Peugeot Partner.
• More reliabilty.  Suzukis, and Japanese cars generally are noted for their reliability.
• Fuel efficiency. With a 660cc engine, you get around 19km per litre. I drove the new one myself and topped it up after its first 345km drive, and it cost me exactly $36.02 (18.97 litres used up to drive 345km!). 
• Turn Heads! With their slightly comical design, and so few in Australia, they turn heads - I get people smiling and commenting on them daily!
• Fun to drive - very basic, but it makes you feel like you are actually driving then car!
• Plenty of space in the back and easy access for the dogs.
• If using for business as it is under the $20.000 limit for instant asset write off, you can claim it back this financial year, rather than depreciate over time!
• Brilliant for nipping around in built up areas and getting into small places! 
• Importing can be a bit of a headache, but get a good broker and they will guide you through it! We recommend Garage Apex!
• The only downside I have found is on the freeway, being a narrow, tall car, you do get a bit of aeroplane type turbulence if a truck goes flying past at 110kms an hour, or its a windy day!

Overall, I am glad I bought it - fun to drive, much better value than what you can get in Oz, exactly what we need to run a dog walking business! Ticks all the boxes - see our you tube video to see them in action!