It’s been exactly a month since Daihatsu announced this End of Copen production In the second half of 2026. However, Toyota’s budget-oriented brand has left the door open for a potential successor, and the next-generation model is certainly officially in development. Better yet, it moves to a new platform with rear-wheel drive while keeping the three pedals. For now, the K-Open only exists as a concept, but there’s plenty of reason to believe a production version will follow.
Toyota CEO and President Koji Sato revealed that Chairman Akio Toyoda will take on the role of “leading and breaking the Copen a lot” during development and testing. Daihatsu has not confirmed whether the new model will continue to meet kei car regulations or grow into a larger vehicle. It is worth noting that the K-Open is not the first RWD Copen model. to remember Vision concept From a few years ago?
Daihatsu hasn’t revealed what’s under the hood, but the outgoing Copen uses a 0.66-liter three-cylinder turbo engine with 63 horsepower. Although this number seems modest, it is sufficient given the car’s light weight of 1,874 pounds (850 kg) with the manual transmission. The previous Vision concept featured a larger 1.3-liter engine, supposedly with more power, but was unfortunately mated to an automatic transmission.
Stylistically, the K-Open’s round headlights recall the first-generation Copen sold between 2002 and 2012. There are no photos showing the roof in place, so it’s safe to assume the concept also uses a retractable hardtop like its predecessors. Whether Daihatsu will be reconsidered is short-lived Coupe version It’s still unclear, though the focus seems to be on the convertible for now.
The driver-focused interior leans heavily toward an analogue design, doing away with the central screen seen in the Vision concept. The conventional handbrake is located behind the five-speed manual lever, and while most of the controls are on the steering wheel, there are a few touch-sensitive buttons occupying the center console. The door handles have been replaced with fabric loops, and the seats feature ample lateral support.
It seems like Toyota is really committed to building a rear-wheel-drive Copen. During the year 2025 Japan Mobility ExhibitionKoji Sato said that “I really can’t wait to see what kind of car this Copen will be.” He also admitted that packing the rear-wheel drive design into such a compact space presented a serious engineering challenge:
It may be hard to express how amazing it is, but achieving rear-wheel drive in a front-engined car with such a compact chassis is truly incredible. You need to lower the engine, carefully pack the transmission and propeller shaft, and design the pedal layout so that everything fits perfectly into that body. Well… I could spend hours explaining why, but in short, it’s full of the wisdom and ingenuity of its developers.’
Toyota did not say when Daihatsu will launch the third generation Copen, but it is unlikely to arrive before 2027 as the current model will remain in production until next August.
