Suzuki Is Expected To Revive The Cappuccino Kei Car
While we’ve been focusing on the upcoming Toyota GR GT and the resurrection of the beloved Celica, another potential sports car revival has been keeping us occupied here in Japan. Just open any Japanese car magazines on the shelves and you’ll be hearing talks about an imminent Suzuki kei car comeback. Get comfortable and grab a cup of cappuccino, because the beloved little Suzuki Cappuccino kei car may be coming back to the forefront of the JDM scene.
What You Need To Know About The Suzuki Cappuccino
In 1991, while Honda launched the Beat, Suzuki introduced the Cappuccino as an answer to Japan’s booming kei sports car segment. As a kei car, the Cappuccino’s turbocharged 3-cylinder 660cc engine produced 64 hp, keeping displacement and power output within class limits. The engine was paired with a five-speed manual transmission sending power to the rear wheels, though Suzuki also introduced a three-speed automatic transmission in 1995. Unlike most kei cars, Suzuki gave the Cappuccino a front mid-engine configuration for better weight distribution. The aluminium body panels helped keep the car light, with a weight of just 1,543 lbs. Despite its small size, the Cappuccino packs in lots of surprises, such as a four-wheel double wishbone suspension and a three-piece removable roof that allows you to arrange the car in four different ways: hardtop, T-top, targa, or full convertible. Suzuki ended production for its Cappuccino in 1998.
Suzuki Cappuccino Comeback: The Current Timeline
Over the past few years, there has been a lot of noise regarding a potential Cappuccino comeback, fueled by the concept cars Daihatsu released during the Japan Mobility Show, and with the Japanese magazine BestCar sharing updates regarding the Cappuccino consistently since 2021. BestCar first reported in 2021 talks between Toyota, Daihatsu, and Suzuki planning a joint sports car project. In 2023, Toyota-owned Daihatsu brought the Vision Copen on stage for the first edition of the Japan Mobility Show, teasing a 1.3-liter front-engine, rear-wheel drive concept sports car with a design inspired by the Copen. This concept revived the rumors surrounding a Cappuccino comeback, as a future Copen could serve as a base for a shared platform. During the following Japan Mobility Show in 2025, Daihatsu showcased the K-Open concept, a front-engine, rear-wheel kei car concept, further cementing the possibility of a joint-development kei car. BestCar released their rendering of a potential Suzuki Cappuccino for their latest August 2026 issue, with a headline claiming that “the possibility of a Suzuki Cappuccino comeback is gaining more and more traction.” Though Suzuki has yet to make an official announcement, BestCar predicts we could get a Cappuccino reveal as soon as 2027.
A Jointly Developed Sports Kei Car Is What Could Bring The Suzuki Cappuccino Back
Collaborations between Toyota, Daihatsu and Suzuki are nothing new, with the Japanese car maker trio already working on jointly developed EVs (something that other Japanese manufacturers, Nissan and Mitsubishi, are already successfully doing with the Nissan Sakura). Daihatsu’s release of the Vision Copen and K-Open concept cars during Japan Mobility Show events has only fueled up conversations about deepening ties between the three manufacturers, as the development of the next-generation Copen could potentially lead to a shared kei car platform.
Between the Daihatsu Tanto and the Suzuki Jimny, both Daihatsu and Suzuki already offer a solid fleet of top-selling kei cars in the country, but Daihatsu is currently the only manufacturer offering a kei sports car after the discontinuation of the Honda S660 in March 2022. This leaves plenty of room for a new kei sports car model and a shared kei sports car platform between the two manufacturers could help save significant platform building costs. With the already existing Copen and ongoing developments for its next generation, a Cappuccino comeback would make perfect sense. Aside from bringing development costs down, a Suzuki kei sports car could strengthen the manufacturer’s sales and increase brand image and awareness, as reported by BestCar.
Specs & Pricing: What To Expect For The Next-Gen Suzuki Cappuccino
According to BestCar, we could expect typical kei car specs for an upcoming Suzuki Cappuccino. In terms of engine, we can likely expect a 660cc turbocharged inline-three with an output of 64 hp, which complies to kei car regulations and would remain faithful to the original Cappuccino engine. As for transmission, we can expect a CVT alongside a manual transmission option. When it comes to drivetrain, BestCar speculates a front-engine and rear-wheel setup similar to the first generation, based on what the Daihatsu Copen concept cars from the Japan Mobility Show seem to hint at. BestCar adds that in a joint-development scenario, despite a shared platform, a Suzuki engine would give a future Cappuccino a distinct personality that would make it stand out from the Copen. Since Suzuki already builds engines for its best-selling Jimny kei car, it could retune it and use it for a Cappuccino. The convertible roof also gets high expectations as the first Cappuccino’s adjustable roof made it one of its standout features.
In a market with ever-increasing car prices and with fewer-than-ever low-power, manual, convertible options, the Suzuki Cappuccino revival is attracting strong interest from enthusiasts here in Japan. BestCar reiterates that though Suzuki has not yet made any official announcement, we could likely know more in 2027, “based on the interviews with those involved.”
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