Daihatsu’s Copen Concept revealed at the recent Japan Mobility Show was no longer a front-wheel-drive Kei car like the first generation (see video), but a much larger RWD baby roadster. Reports are now coming in that it may go on sale somewhere else than Japan for the first time on record.
According to Japan’s Best Car, Daihatsu resolved to design a larger Copen because the idea was ‘to make the vehicle more attractive and demanded among customers, including on export markets.’
The manufacturer’s decision to diverge from the Kei stylistic also meant the engine under the hood was no longer bound by the traditional 658cc limitation. The JMS show car had 1.3 liters of displacement – around twice as much. Its output was never specified, but we would imagine it to be more than the traditional Kei car limitation of 64 PS (63 hp / 47 kW).
The publication believes that Daihatsu may enlist the help of Toyota to release the Copen outside of its domestic market. It is also possible that it will be released as a fixed-top coupe in addition to the drop-top version.