Road Test

Your Say

Suzuki Cappuccino

Test date 12 January 1994 Price as tested £11,995

For Handling, grip, steering, novelty value, looks, build quality, versatile roof, equipment

AgainstPrice, jiggly ride, very poor legroom, lack of luggage space, tyre noise

Suzuki's Cappuccino is either the motoring masterstroke of 1994 or a spectacular own goal. If Suzuki has read the situation correctly, this tiny two-seater convertible is the '90s answer to the MG Midget and Austin Healey Sprite; fun to drive, practical to own and a giggle to look at.

All this from an importer primarily known for its 'lifestyle' Vitara off-roader. So where did the Cappuccino come from? It is a product of the Japanese KeiJidosha (literally 'small car') law which decrees that cars shorter than 10ft 10in and less than 4ft 7in wide are exempt from the country's draconian parking laws. Engine capacity must also be less than 660cc, power no more than 65bhp and top speed limited to 87mph.

Within that brief the Cappuccino is about as sporting as you can get and is the first sports-orientated micro car to go on sale in the UK through its official importer. Other, non-sporting micro cars already on sale are Subaru's Vivio and the Daihatsu Mira.

The Cappuccino is expensive, though: A price of £11,995 takes it out of the realms of the plaything into a head-on clash with serious all-rounders like the Hyundai coupe MVTi (£11,298, 114bhp) and Nissan 100NX (£12,995, 102bhp). And it's no coincidence that it is identically priced to the Rover Mini Cabriolet.

Further rivalry comes from the Mazda MX-3 1.6 auto (£14,442, 88bhp), Peugeot 205 CJ cabriolet (£ 11,536, 75bhp) and Reliant Scimitar 1.4 (£11,039, 75bhp). But the question Suzuki dealers will most likely have to answer will surely be: how much cheaper is it than a Mazda MX-5? The answer is £4495.