Daihatsu to Showcase New Kopen Concepts in Tokyo

10 years, 4 months ago - 6 November 2013, Autoblog
Daihatsu to Showcase New Kopen Concepts in Tokyo
It's been a while since we've seen a new kei-sized roadster coming out of Japan, but at the upcoming Tokyo Motor Show, they'll be making a big comeback. Not only will Honda unveil the new S660 concept as a sort of Beat successor, Daihatsu – as indicated by earlier reports – will be on hand with a conceptual preview for a new Copen.

The Daihatsu Copen, for those who don't recall (or were never acquainted in the first place) was a small roadster – known to some as a miniature version of the Audi TT – that was designed for the Japanese kei market but was also sold overseas, where its 660cc engine was replaced by a 1.3-liter four. It had a manual folding hardtop and a temptingly simple form. But after a decade on the market, it was discontinued last year.

Since then, Daihatsu has been toying with the idea of a successor, showing the D-X concept at the Tokyo Motor Show two years ago and the D-R concept in Indonesia a little over a year ago. These latest images show a new take on the formula, but still meeting the strict kei-car regulations with a 660cc engine (this time a forced-induction three-cylinder unit mated to a CVT) in a form just 133.7 inches long.

These images indicate that Daihatsu won't just show the new Kopen concept (now with a K instead of a C) in a variety of colors, but also in different styles: the one above wears some extra body cladding and different running lights than the svelter versions. In any event, we're looking forward to checking out the new Daihatsu Kopen concepts in person at the Tokyo show in mere weeks from now.