Suzuki’s classic kei roadster, the Cappuccino, could be making a surprise return next year, 27 years after it was discontinued. Only now, the open-top sports car won’t be constrained by Japan’s minicar regulations, according to a number of the country’s automotive publications.
Late last year, Best Car magazine reported of the “high possibility” of a new-generation Cappuccino, created through a collaboration with Toyota and Daihatsu. The latter already builds the Copen, a front-wheel-drive kei roadster with a folding hard top, powered by a 658 cc turbocharged three-cylinder engine.
However, Daihatsu’s convertible is set to undergo a radical rethink, if the Vision Copen concept was to be believed. Revealed at the Japan Mobility Show (née Tokyo Motor Show) in 2023, that show car was front-engined, rear-wheel drive, bringing it closer in layout to the Cappuccino. It also used a 1.3 litre engine and measured 3,835 mm long, 1,695 mm wide and 1,265 mm tall, exceeding kei car limits in both engine displacement and dimensions.
It seems that this car will form the basis of the new Cappuccino, underpinned by the Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA) but with an in-house design and suspension tuning. It will also spawn a Toyota derivative, built as a modern reinterpretation of the Sports 800 and the spiritual successor to the stillborn S-FR.
More technical information surfaced in a later Response article that stated that the Cappuccino will be slightly longer (3,895 mm) and lower (1,260 mm) than the Vision Copen and sit on a scant 2,410 mm wheelbase. It’s also set to have a sportier, more aggressive look than the original, presumably to appeal to modern consumer tastes.
The engine, meanwhile, will take the form of a turbocharged three-cylinder (we think it could be related to the Toyota GR Yaris‘ 1.6 litre G16E-GTS mill) with around 120 PS, double the 64 PS kei car limit set by a gentlemen’s agreement. Oddly for what is supposed to be a purist’s sports car, a six-speed automatic gearbox will reportedly be fitted as standard, although a manual option is also expected to be offered. Its debut is slated for late 2026, the report added.
Enlarging the Copen/Cappuccino/S-FR trio would make sense as it would make them more palatable for export markets, given the shrinking demand for kei sports cars in Japan. It would also provide some much needed competition to the all-conquering Mazda MX-5. Would you get this over Hiroshima’s iconic roadster? Sound off in the comments after the jump.
GALLERY: Daihatsu Vision Copen at 2023 Japan Mobility Show
Looking to sell your car? Sell it with Carro.
I would like to test drive it before deciding to buy or not.