More than 26 years since Suzuki ended production of one of its most memorable nameplates, reports suggest it could be back on the cards – albeit in a significant departure from the formula of old.
Japanese outlet Best Car Web reported in late 2024 that Suzuki could soon release a “lightweight open sports car” – in other words, a revival of the classic Cappuccino convertible kei car that was sold for only one generation during the 1990s.
Subsequently, Japanese outlet Response has reported the new Cappuccino won’t share the same micro car dimensions that helped to make the original model so iconic.
Instead, it will reportedly be better positioned as a rival to Mazda’s longstanding MX-5.
Japanese outlets have also drawn links to a joint project between Suzuki, Toyota, and Daihatsu. The latter two already share a micro roadster in Japan, the Daihatsu-developed Copen.
The new Cappuccino could be revealed in late 2026 according to Japanese reports.
Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now.
Response reports it’ll measure 3895mm long, 1695mm wide, 1260mm tall while riding atop a 2410mm wheelbase.
It’s widely expected the new model will feature a front-engine, rear-wheel drive layout in keeping with the old Cappuccino.
As a result, it’s also expected the new Cappuccino could likely be powered by a 1.3-litre turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine with up to 90kW of power; up significantly from the turbo 660cc engines (as in the Copen) with 47kW typically found standard in micro Japanese sports cars.
Response suggests a 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine is also a possibility, while a six-speed automatic transmission is “likely” alongside a manual option.
For context, the new dimensions are 600mm longer, 300mm wider, and 75mm taller than the Cappuccino of old, while the wheelbase is 350mm longer.
Kerb weight is not yet known, though it’ll almost certainly be heavier than than the previous 725kg model.
-
Mazda MX-5
The current ND-generation MX-5, meanwhile, is 3915mm long (+20mm over the rumoured Cappuccino revival), 1730mm wide (+35mm), and 1235mm tall (-25mm) with wheelbase of 2310mm (-100mm). Kerb weight is between 961kg and 1058kg depending on the engine and transmission combo.
The first model to be shown as part of the Suzuki-Toyota-Daihatsu project was the Vision Copen in 2023 – a rear-wheel drive convertible with a 1.3-litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine and larger dimensions than any of its predecessors.
Best Car Web reports Toyota’s adaptation will be a revival of its Sports 800, a tiny two-door sports coupe produced between 1965 and 1969. That model was supposedly previewed by the S-FR concept in 2015.
Where the Vision Copen features bubbly design cues like the original Copen, the new Cappuccino will reportedly feature a sharp, aggressive look headlined by angular front shapes and headlights.
That makes it sound more like the Daihatsu/Toyota Copen GR Sport, a model with aggressive visual tweaks featuring design elements from the Toyota GR Yaris.
-
Daihatsu Copen GR Sport -
Daihatsu Vision Copen concept
The original Cappuccino formed one third of what is sometimes referred to as the Heisei ABC trio – a group of three minuscule sports cars launched in 1990 during Japan’s Heisei era.
Making up the rest of the trio were the Autozam AZ-1 (under Mazda) and Honda Beat. The AZ-1 featured gullwing doors and a rear mid-engine, rear-wheel drive layout, while the Beat featured a similar configuration with a convertible soft-top roof.
Suzuki’s offering was built with only a front-engine, rear-wheel drive layout, and all three were powered by engines with the same basic 660cc turbocharged three-cylinder configuration.
Of the three, the Suzuki Cappuccino lived the longest. The AZ-1 was only in production from 1992 to 1994, the Beat lasted from 1991 to 1996, and the Cappuccino made it all the way to 1998.
While none of these tiny sports cars were officially sold in Australia, the first-generation Daihatsu Copen was sold here from 2003 to 2005.
-
Autozam AZ-1 -
Honda Beat
MORE: Could the Mazda MX-5’s next rival be a Daihatsu?
MORE: Toyota’s next sports car to be roadster Mazda MX-5 rival – report
MORE: Everything Suzuki
