# Suzuki Cappuccino
The **Suzuki Cappuccino** (カプチーノ) is a two-seat, front-engine, rear-wheel-drive kei-class sports roadster produced by Suzuki from October 1991 to 1998, sold in Japan under the chassis codes EA11R and EA21R and briefly exported to the United Kingdom.[1](https://thejdmregistry.com/suzuki-cappuccino/overview) • [2](https://www.exchangeandmart.co.uk/reviews/suzuki/cappucino/1993/207900) It was built to Japan's kei car regulations, which limited body length to less than 3.3 m, width to 1.4 m, and engine displacement to 660 cc, and it packed a turbocharged three-cylinder engine, four-wheel [double wishbone suspension](https://www.edgepedia.org/double-wishbone-suspension), and a four-way convertible roof into those dimensions.[3](https://gazoo.com/feature/cappuccino/24/01/27/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Production | November 1991 to 1998; total output about 26,000 units by one account, 28,010 by another estimate[3](https://gazoo.com/feature/cappuccino/24/01/27/) • [1](https://thejdmregistry.com/suzuki-cappuccino/overview) |
| Dimensions | 3,295 mm long, 1,395 mm wide, 1,185 mm high, 2,060 mm wheelbase, 700 kg[4](https://www.suzuki.co.jp/suzuki_digital_library/pdf/1_auto/cappuccino/60.pdf) |
| Engine (EA11R) | F6A 657 cc water-cooled inline-3, DOHC 12-valve intercooled turbo, 64 PS at 6,500 rpm, 8.7 kgf·m at 4,000 rpm, longitudinally mounted[3](https://gazoo.com/feature/cappuccino/24/01/27/) |
| Engine (EA21R) | From the 1995 facelift, all-aluminum K6A turbo with 10.5 kgf·m at 3,500 rpm; kerb weight fell to 690 kg[3](https://gazoo.com/feature/cappuccino/24/01/27/) |
| Roof | Four configurations: hardtop, T-bar roof, targa top and full open, described as a world first for a production car[3](https://gazoo.com/feature/cappuccino/24/01/27/) |
| Chassis | Front-mid engine, rear-wheel drive; four-wheel double wishbone suspension, a first on a kei car[1](https://thejdmregistry.com/suzuki-cappuccino/overview) • [3](https://gazoo.com/feature/cappuccino/24/01/27/) |
| UK sales | On sale October 1993 at £11,995; 1,110 cars sold in 1993–1995, 80 percent red and 20 percent silver[2](https://www.exchangeandmart.co.uk/reviews/suzuki/cappucino/1993/207900) |
## Background and development
Suzuki began work on a two-seat kei sports car in 1987 with a deliberately young development team, and showed a concept at the 1989 [Tokyo Motor Show](https://www.edgepedia.org/tokyo-motor-show), where observers at first took it for a styling exercise rather than a serious production proposal.[5](https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/suzuki/104883/suzuki-cappuccino-buying-guide-and-review-1991-1997) • [6](https://anyflip.com/psxo/mgtg/basic/51-92) The car was designed for Japan's kei class, a legal category created for crowded cities: buyers of full-size cars in Japanese cities must prove they have off-street parking, while kei cars can be parked on the street.[7](https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/motoring/motoring-road-test-dinky-toy-for-big-boys-the-small-cappuccino-is-strong-on-driver-appeal-reports-brett-fraser-5428289.html) The regulations in force when development began limited engines to 550 cc; rules changed in 1990 to allow 660 cc engines and slightly longer bodies, and the [Cappuccino](https://www.edgepedia.org/cappuccino) was built to the new limits.[5](https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/suzuki/104883/suzuki-cappuccino-buying-guide-and-review-1991-1997)
Production began at the Kosai plant in October 1991, and the car went on sale in Japan in November 1991 under the slogan "Open Mind 2 Seater".[8](https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/car-reviews/suzuki/cappucino/cappucino-1993-1995/) • [9](https://www.suzuki.co.jp/suzuki_digital_library/1_auto/cappuccino.html) It belonged to a small group of early-1990s kei roadsters that Japanese journalists called the ABC cars: the [Autozam AZ-1](https://www.edgepedia.org/autozam-az-1), the [Honda Beat](https://www.edgepedia.org/honda-beat), and the Cappuccino.[10](https://www.whichcar.com.au/features/modern-classic-autozam-az-1)
## Engineering
The F6A engine is a 657 cc inline three with double overhead camshafts, 12 valves, electronic fuel injection, and an intercooled turbocharger, mounted longitudinally to drive the rear wheels.[7](https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/motoring/motoring-road-test-dinky-toy-for-big-boys-the-small-cappuccino-is-strong-on-driver-appeal-reports-brett-fraser-5428289.html) • [4](https://www.suzuki.co.jp/suzuki_digital_library/pdf/1_auto/cappuccino/60.pdf) Output was 64 PS at 6,500 rpm, a figure held down by the kei regulations, which also controlled power.[3](https://gazoo.com/feature/cappuccino/24/01/27/) • [7](https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/motoring/motoring-road-test-dinky-toy-for-big-boys-the-small-cappuccino-is-strong-on-driver-appeal-reports-brett-fraser-5428289.html) The rev counter's red markings began at 8,500 rpm.[7](https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/motoring/motoring-road-test-dinky-toy-for-big-boys-the-small-cappuccino-is-strong-on-driver-appeal-reports-brett-fraser-5428289.html) The claimed 0–62 mph time was around 8.0 seconds with a top speed of 85 mph.[11](https://dev.images.cdn.autocar.co.uk/car-news/used-cars-second-hand-picks/take-it-or-leave-it-second-hand-picks-4-march)
Weight saving came from aluminum rear pillars, bonnet, roof panels, and boot lid, holding kerb weight to 700 kg.[3](https://gazoo.com/feature/cappuccino/24/01/27/) • [5](https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/suzuki/104883/suzuki-cappuccino-buying-guide-and-review-1991-1997) Suspension was double wishbones at all four wheels, the first such layout on a kei car, with ventilated disc brakes at the front.[3](https://gazoo.com/feature/cappuccino/24/01/27/) • [9](https://www.suzuki.co.jp/suzuki_digital_library/1_auto/cappuccino.html) The turning circle measured 8.8 m, and the car ran 165/65 R14 tires without a limited-slip differential.[12](https://www.classicandsportscar.com/features/tiddlers-test-suzuki-cappuccino-vs-honda-beat)
**The roof.** The Cappuccino's roof was made of rigid plastic panels rather than canvas. The rear section, which contained a heated glass window, pivoted down behind the seats, while the remaining panels could be removed one at a time or all together for fully open motoring.[7](https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/motoring/motoring-road-test-dinky-toy-for-big-boys-the-small-cappuccino-is-strong-on-driver-appeal-reports-brett-fraser-5428289.html) Suzuki described the four resulting configurations, hardtop, T-bar, targa, and full open, as a world-first mechanism for a production car.[3](https://gazoo.com/feature/cappuccino/24/01/27/)
## 1995 update and end of production
The May 1995 minor change replaced the F6A with the all-aluminum K6A, raising maximum torque from 8.7 kgf·m at 4,000 rpm to 10.5 kgf·m at 3,500 rpm, and lighter wheels brought kerb weight down to 690 kg. A three-speed automatic joined the five-speed manual at this point.[3](https://gazoo.com/feature/cappuccino/24/01/27/) The later cars also gained power steering, anti-lock brakes, and a driver's airbag.[5](https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/suzuki/104883/suzuki-cappuccino-buying-guide-and-review-1991-1997)
Production ended in 1998. GAZOO puts total output at just over 26,000 cars, while the SCORE owners' club and The JDM Registry record 28,010 produced by September 1998.[3](https://gazoo.com/feature/cappuccino/24/01/27/) • [6](https://anyflip.com/psxo/mgtg/basic/51-92) • [1](https://thejdmregistry.com/suzuki-cappuccino/overview) Annual sales in Japan had fallen to 2,568 by 1994.[6](https://anyflip.com/psxo/mgtg/basic/51-92)
## United Kingdom
Suzuki GB saw the car as a brand builder and began talks after its strong Japanese start; the Cappuccino debuted at the 1992 London Motor Show and went on sale in October 1993 at £11,995, a price inflated by the import quota system, under which Suzuki still had to make an average-size profit on a small car.[8](https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/car-reviews/suzuki/cappucino/cappucino-1993-1995/) • [7](https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/motoring/motoring-road-test-dinky-toy-for-big-boys-the-small-cappuccino-is-strong-on-driver-appeal-reports-brett-fraser-5428289.html) Meeting UK legislation required 23 adaptations to the car.[13](https://www.hagerty.co.uk/articles/your-classics/your-classics-iain-ralston-and-his-suzuki-cappuccino/) Tight import quotas limited sales to 1,110 cars between 1993 and 1995, and the model was then withdrawn because the revised Japanese car was not type approved for Europe; tougher emissions regulations eventually made importing it unfeasible.[2](https://www.exchangeandmart.co.uk/reviews/suzuki/cappucino/1993/207900) • [5](https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/suzuki/104883/suzuki-cappuccino-buying-guide-and-review-1991-1997)
The car is now rare in the UK. Around 600 remain according to howmanyleft.co.uk, with 120 licensed and 470 declared SORN (off the public road) as of 2025 Q4.[5](https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/suzuki/104883/suzuki-cappuccino-buying-guide-and-review-1991-1997) • [14](https://stillontheroad.co.uk/cars/suzuki/cappuccino) The UK owners' club, SCORE (the Suzuki Cappuccino Owner's Register for Enthusiasts), supports buyers and sellers.[15](https://www.the-independent.com/life-style/motoring/road-tests/which-car-should-i-order-an-old-cappuccino-89350.html)
## Ownership and reputation
Contemporary testers praised the rear-wheel-drive balance and sharp steering; Brett Fraser of *The Independent* noted that the car's small footprint made narrow British B-roads feel wide and that drivers emerged smiling.[7](https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/motoring/motoring-road-test-dinky-toy-for-big-boys-the-small-cappuccino-is-strong-on-driver-appeal-reports-brett-fraser-5428289.html) A later Classic & Sports Car track test found the steering slightly indecisive and the rear quicker to break away than the mid-engined Honda Beat's, with no limited-slip differential to mask it.[12](https://www.classicandsportscar.com/features/tiddlers-test-suzuki-cappuccino-vs-honda-beat)
Ownership has two recurring themes. Rust is the main enemy: the cars left the factory poorly rustproofed, and corrosion appears in floorpans, sills, and wheel arches, often hidden by cosmetic plastic lower panels.[5](https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/suzuki/104883/suzuki-cappuccino-buying-guide-and-review-1991-1997) Routine care is otherwise simple, with easy DIY maintenance, an oil change interval of 3,000 miles to protect the turbocharger, fuel economy around 45 mpg, and annual UK tax of £220 because all versions fall below the 1,549 cc threshold.[5](https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/suzuki/104883/suzuki-cappuccino-buying-guide-and-review-1991-1997) Pre-facelift cars use a cambelt needing replacement every five years or 60,000 miles, while later K6A cars have a chain-driven cam; engines and turbochargers are described as durable.[5](https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/suzuki/104883/suzuki-cappuccino-buying-guide-and-review-1991-1997)
As a used buy, prices in the UK run from about £4,000 for a tatty car to roughly £8,000 for a genuinely good one, with superb examples between £10,000 and £12,000; later imported K6A cars carry a premium over pre-facelift UK models.[5](https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/suzuki/104883/suzuki-cappuccino-buying-guide-and-review-1991-1997) Its rarity outside Japan and its rear-drive layout have made it a sought-after kei classic.[1](https://thejdmregistry.com/suzuki-cappuccino/overview)
## References
1. [Suzuki Cappuccino Production Numbers & History, The JDM Registry](https://thejdmregistry.com/suzuki-cappuccino/overview)
2. [Suzuki Cappucino (1993–1995) review, Exchange & Mart](https://www.exchangeandmart.co.uk/reviews/suzuki/cappucino/1993/207900)
3. [スズキ カプチーノ（1991年～1998年）解説, GAZOO.com](https://gazoo.com/feature/cappuccino/24/01/27/)
4. [カプチーノ 諸元表, Suzuki Digital Library (PDF)](https://www.suzuki.co.jp/suzuki_digital_library/pdf/1_auto/cappuccino/60.pdf)
5. [Used Suzuki Cappuccino (1991–1997) buyer's guide, Auto Express](https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/suzuki/104883/suzuki-cappuccino-buying-guide-and-review-1991-1997)
6. [SCORE Issue 18, April 2005, Suzuki Cappuccino Owners Register (AnyFlip)](https://anyflip.com/psxo/mgtg/basic/51-92)
7. [Motoring / Road Test: Dinky toy for big boys, Brett Fraser, The Independent, 6 August 1994](https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/motoring/motoring-road-test-dinky-toy-for-big-boys-the-small-cappuccino-is-strong-on-driver-appeal-reports-brett-fraser-5428289.html)
8. [Suzuki Cappucino (1993–1995) used car review, RAC Drive](https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/car-reviews/suzuki/cappucino/cappucino-1993-1995/)
9. [カプチーノ（1991）, Suzuki Digital Library](https://www.suzuki.co.jp/suzuki_digital_library/1_auto/cappuccino.html)
10. [Modern Classic: Autozam AZ-1, WhichCar](https://www.whichcar.com.au/features/modern-classic-autozam-az-1)
11. [Take it or leave it: second hand picks for 4 March, Autocar](https://dev.images.cdn.autocar.co.uk/car-news/used-cars-second-hand-picks/take-it-or-leave-it-second-hand-picks-4-march)
12. [Tiddlers on test: Suzuki Cappuccino vs Honda Beat, Classic & Sports Car](https://www.classicandsportscar.com/features/tiddlers-test-suzuki-cappuccino-vs-honda-beat)
13. [Your Classics: Iain Ralston and his Suzuki Cappuccino, Hagerty UK](https://www.hagerty.co.uk/articles/your-classics/your-classics-iain-ralston-and-his-suzuki-cappuccino/)
14. [Suzuki Cappuccino still on the road in the UK](https://stillontheroad.co.uk/cars/suzuki/cappuccino)
15. [Which Car? 'Should I order an old Cappuccino?', The Independent](https://www.the-independent.com/life-style/motoring/road-tests/which-car-should-i-order-an-old-cappuccino-89350.html)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Technology and the built world › Transport and spaceflight › Road transport › Automobiles › Japanese automobile models › Suzuki and Daihatsu models*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 15, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026 · Last review: Oct 15, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license