Cappuccino comeback! New-generation compact Suzuki roadster co-developed with Toyota S-FR and Daihatsu Copen arriving in 2027 – report – Car News

Recent reports out of Japan have already pointed to Toyota’s revival of its compact sports car program, inspired by the front-engine, rear-drive S-FR concept unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show way back in 2015.

To make that program viable it’s now clear yet another joint development is underway with the re-emergence of the lightweight Suzuki Cappuccino and a Daihatsu Copen sibling.

According to Best Car, sources within Toyota Motor Corporation and its subsidiaries suggest the three-car deal is “progressing steadily” with shared engine supply one of the key planks underpinning it.

The original Cappuccino left the Australian market in the late 1990s, with devoted fans drawn to its city-friendly, Kei-car dimensions (overall length just under 3.3m) and pugnacious 660cc turbo three-cylinder engine driving the rear wheels through a five-speed manual gearbox.

This time around, however, it looks like outputs will grow substantially from the 47kW/85Nm that car produced.

A downsized 1.3-litre version of the 1.6L inline three-cylinder turbo-petrol engine used in the GR Yaris and GR Corolla is being developed to power a small front-wheel hatch to be badged Starlet (including its Rally4 WRC homologation special) as well as the S-FR.

And a version of that unit, producing around 110kW/220Nm, is destined to power the new Cappuccino.

Suzuki Cappuccino Render (Image: Best Car)

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Suzuki Cappuccino Render (Image: Best Car)

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Suzuki Cappuccino Render (Image: Best Car)

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Suzuki Cappuccino Render (Image: Best Car)

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On top of that, the Daihatsu Vision Copen, shown at last year’s Japan Mobility Show, featured, you guessed it, a non-hybrid 1.3L turbo triple driving the rear wheels.

Toyota owns a five per cent stake in Suzuki and a majority share makes Daihatsu a direct subsidiary so the multi-model share program is as straight-forward as previous Toyota-Subaru JVs (Toyota owns 20 per cent of Subaru) like the 86/BRZ and bZ4X/Solterra.

Like its predecessor, the new Cappuccino is expected to be a two-seat roadster, but longer at around 4.0m and wider at roughly 1.7m with a close to 2.5m wheelbase.

Sources suggest the Cappuccino will be ready for takeaway by 2027 with a domestic market entry price of ¥3.0M (just under $29,000).