Acceleration is not as spritely as you might think. Zero to 60mph comes up in 11.3sec, the standing quarter mile in 18.5sec and 30-70mph through the gears in 12.2sec. The Cappuccino's in-gear flexibility is better but still not electric - 30-50mph in the ultra-short fourth and fifth gears still takes an unsparkling 8.1 sec and 13.8sec respectively.
Still, extracting this performance is fun in itself with a super slick short-throw gear change, light if rather abrupt clutch and impressive (for a turbo) throttle response. All in all, the Cappuccino has adequate if not genuine sports car levels of performance but the limited top speed of 83mph could be a nuisance on, for example, a Continental trip.
It's the power-assisted steering that catches your attention first. Directly geared with 2.8 turns between locks, with linear response at the wheels according to the amount of lock applied, it’s sensitive to road camber changes but is without a great amount of feel. For a power set-up it's quite heavy as well, with an increase in the effort needed as more lock is applied, giving a reassurring feel as cornering loads increase.
A flick of the three-spoke wheel has the car turning in quickly with an impressive lack of understeer and superb grip from the narrow 165/65 Bridgestone tyres. Catch the engine boosting in a tight second gear corner and the rear end will step out of line, but the quick steering makes recovery drama-free. Better still is the car's balance in fast sweeping bends where the line can be adjusted with the throttle; weight distribution is a perfect 50/50 balance front to rear.
String a few favourite bends together and the Cappuccino has you smiling - its size means roads which usually feel narrow seem wonderfuIly wide. Here is a chassis of real ability, compromised only by a tendency to fidget over bumpy roads. It may look like a toy, but the Suzuki certainly doesn't handle like one.
