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Daihatsu’s K-OPEN is the clearest preview yet of a possible third-generation Copen, and its headline change is substantial: the tiny two-seat roadster moves to a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout.
But K-OPEN is not yet a confirmed production car. Daihatsu describes the displayed vehicle as a reference car and the running version as a pre-production study vehicle. The company has confirmed the layout, kei-class internal-combustion format, two-seat cabin, and development goals—but not a launch date, final name, engine specification, price, or export markets.
What Daihatsu actually showed
Daihatsu presented the K-OPEN at the 2025 Japan Mobility Show as a reference vehicle. The company also identified a separate K-OPEN Running Prototype and described it as a pre-production study vehicle. That wording matters: it shows that Daihatsu is developing and testing the idea, but it is not the same as announcing a production car.
The stated objective is to carry the open-air driving appeal of the Copen into the future while making front-engine, rear-wheel-drive driving accessible in a very small vehicle. Daihatsu says the running prototype is being developed around low weight, a low center of gravity, and favorable weight distribution. It also attributes that weight distribution to the use of in-house components within the new layout.
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In other words, K-OPEN is more than a styling exercise, but less than a confirmed third-generation Copen. The name may not survive to production, and Daihatsu has not announced a sales date, final specifications, price, or export plan.
K-OPEN specifications: what is known and what is not
Daihatsu’s official material confirms that the K-OPEN is a two-seat, kei-class vehicle with an internal-combustion engine and front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout. It does not publish the engine’s displacement, power, torque, fuel economy, emissions, or final transmission specification.
| Item | What the available material establishes |
|---|---|
| Vehicle status | Reference-car exhibit and separately identified running prototype |
| Seating | Two |
| Powertrain type | Internal-combustion engine; final engine details are unpublished |
| Layout | Front engine, rear-wheel drive |
| Running-prototype dimensions | 3,395 mm long, 1,475 mm wide, 1,230 mm high |
| Running-prototype wheelbase | 2,265 mm |
| Production specification | Not announced |
The same Daihatsu release contains another K-OPEN dimensional listing with a 1,280-mm height and a 2,230-mm wheelbase. Because the release presents more than one K-OPEN specification, these numbers should be treated as concept or prototype measurements rather than final production dimensions. They should not be used to claim that the finished road car will have either exact set of figures.
Rear-wheel drive is the important change
The current Copen is a compact, two-seat Japanese roadster built around a front-wheel-drive arrangement. The K-OPEN reverses that basic formula: the engine remains at the front, but the rear wheels provide propulsion.
That change can make a small roadster feel more willing to rotate through a corner and can separate steering duties from driving duties. It also gives engineers a different route to the low center of gravity and weight distribution Daihatsu says it is targeting. Those are engineering objectives, not independent performance results; there are no published acceleration figures, cornering tests, or road-test impressions for K-OPEN.
Rear-wheel drive is difficult to package in a body this short. Motor1 reported comments from Toyota president Koji Sato about the challenge of placing the engine low while finding room for the transmission, propeller shaft, and pedal arrangement. That is useful context for understanding the project, but it remains an account of the engineering challenge rather than a published specification or independent test.
The layout also brings trade-offs. A propeller shaft and rear-drive hardware consume space and add components compared with a simple front-drive arrangement. Engineers must preserve passenger-room, suspension, crash-structure, exhaust, and fuel-system packaging while keeping the car within kei-car proportions. K-OPEN’s significance is therefore not simply that it has a sportier drivetrain; it is that Daihatsu is attempting to fit that drivetrain into the Copen’s unusually constrained footprint.
Does the K-OPEN have a manual transmission?
The displayed concept appears to have a manual gearbox. Automotive outlets including Car and Driver, Road & Track, and Motor1 reported or observed a manual shifter, with Motor1 describing it as a five-speed lever.
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The careful wording is “the displayed prototype shows a manual shifter,” not “the production Copen will have a five-speed manual.” Daihatsu’s official release does not list a transmission type or confirm that the manual will reach production. It also does not say whether an automatic or continuously variable transmission would be offered alongside it.
For comparison, the current Japanese-market Copen uses a turbocharged 660-cc engine and is available with either a continuously variable transmission or a five-speed manual, depending on grade. That existing specification may provide context for Copen buyers, but it does not confirm the K-OPEN’s engine size or transmission lineup.
It is a gasoline-powered concept, not an announced electric roadster
Daihatsu classifies the K-OPEN running prototype as an internal-combustion vehicle. The displayed car also has a visible exhaust outlet, and outside reports describe a gasoline engine and manual transmission. The vehicle shown is therefore not being presented as a battery-electric Copen.
That still leaves important questions unanswered. Daihatsu has not published the K-OPEN’s displacement, cylinder count, turbocharger status, output, torque, fuel economy, or emissions. It would be speculative to assume that the next Copen will simply carry over the current car’s 660-cc turbocharged engine, particularly because the rear-drive architecture may require substantial changes to the powertrain and its packaging.
How K-OPEN compares with the larger Vision COPEN
K-OPEN should not be confused with Daihatsu’s 2023 Vision COPEN concept. Vision COPEN also used a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout and an internal-combustion engine, but it was considerably larger and used a 1,300-cc engine.
| Measurement | 2025 K-OPEN running-prototype listing | 2023 Vision COPEN |
|---|---|---|
| Length | 3,395 mm | 3,835 mm |
| Width | 1,475 mm | 1,695 mm |
| Height | 1,230 mm | 1,265 mm |
| Wheelbase | 2,265 mm | 2,415 mm |
| Engine information | Internal combustion; displacement not published | 1,300 cc internal-combustion engine |
On the running-prototype figures, K-OPEN is 440 mm shorter and 220 mm narrower than Vision COPEN, with a wheelbase 150 mm shorter. It is therefore best understood as a return to the Copen’s compact kei-car scale, not as a direct production version of the larger 2023 concept.
Retro styling connects it to the first-generation Copen
The K-OPEN’s rounded headlamps, rounded rear lamps, soft body contours, and compact proportions recall the first-generation Copen. Car and Driver described the concept as drawing on that car’s retro character, while Road & Track emphasized the continuation of the open-roof identity.
That is a deliberate contrast with the current second-generation Copen, which adopted a more angular design and expanded into several visual variants. Daihatsu’s current Copen family includes the Robe, Cero, and GR SPORT grades. The model’s wider history also includes XPLAY and Coupe variants, while the Copen community documents the second generation’s 2014 launch and later developments.
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The current car is also associated with DRESS-FORMATION, Daihatsu’s changeable exterior-panel concept. Its high-rigidity D-Frame structure is described as enabling three exterior designs. K-OPEN’s styling and chassis layout are different enough that no carryover should be assumed. Daihatsu has not confirmed that the production version will retain the D-Frame, the active-top roof mechanism, or DRESS-FORMATION body panels.
The current Copen’s 2026 production end provides context, not a launch date
Daihatsu’s current product information says production of the existing Copen is scheduled to end in late August 2026, subject to change, with sales continuing only while dealer inventory lasts. That creates an obvious product-cycle transition point for a possible successor.
It does not mean K-OPEN will enter production immediately afterward. Daihatsu has not announced a launch date or confirmed that the current car’s end will be followed by a new Copen. Motor1 has reported that Toyota has not announced timing and has considered a pre-2027 arrival unlikely, while Road & Track has described a future Japanese-market car as possible. Those are industry assessments, not Daihatsu’s schedule.
The practical conclusion is that a third-generation Copen remains a possibility under active development, but there is no confirmed date for ordering, production, or delivery. A claim that K-OPEN will launch in 2027 goes beyond the available evidence.
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Will the next Copen be sold outside Japan?
Export availability is unknown. The first-generation Copen was sold in Europe, including versions using a larger 1.3-liter engine, but the current second-generation model has been focused on Japan.
No U.S. launch, North American homologation plan, left-hand-drive specification, European release, or overseas pricing has been identified. The K-OPEN’s kei-class dimensions and powertrain classification make Japan the clearest market context for the prototype, but even a Japanese production launch has not been confirmed. Readers outside Japan should not treat the concept as an announced import.
What is confirmed versus speculation?
| Status | Details |
|---|---|
| Confirmed by Daihatsu | K-OPEN was shown at the 2025 Japan Mobility Show; a running prototype is described as a pre-production study vehicle; the vehicle is a two-seat, kei-class internal-combustion design with a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout; Daihatsu is targeting low mass, a low center of gravity, and favorable weight distribution. |
| Reported by automotive outlets | The concept appears to preview a third-generation Copen; the displayed car has a manual shifter, reportedly a five-speed; its styling recalls the first-generation Copen; Toyota leadership has discussed the difficulty of fitting rear-wheel drive into the compact body. |
| Not confirmed | Production launch date, final model name, engine displacement, power, torque, fuel economy, emissions, final transmission lineup, price, export markets, active-top carryover, D-Frame carryover, and DRESS-FORMATION compatibility. |
What enthusiasts can do now
There is no K-OPEN vehicle to order and no confirmed K-OPEN parts catalogue. Existing Copen suspension, exhaust, or styling accessories should not be advertised as compatible with the future car. Daihatsu’s GR Parts and Copen × HKS accessory material applies to existing Copen applications unless a future parts list says otherwise.
For readers who want a tangible connection to the nameplate now, a Daihatsu Copen die-cast model is a more defensible purchase than any product marketed as a K-OPEN accessory. Daihatsu’s Copen community has documented a specially produced 1/18-scale die-cast model, although current retailer availability, seller, and price can vary. A model car is a collectible—not evidence that the K-OPEN has reached production.
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The questions Daihatsu still needs to answer
- Will K-OPEN receive a production approval, and will it keep the Copen name?
- What engine displacement and output can fit the front-engine, rear-wheel-drive package?
- Will the manual gearbox reach production, and will an automatic or CVT also be available?
- Which of the two published concept dimension sets represents the final body?
- Will the new car use an active-top roof, the existing D-Frame, or DRESS-FORMATION panels?
- Will it remain Japan-only, or will Daihatsu develop export-market versions?
- How much will the added rear-drive hardware affect weight, luggage space, price, and fuel economy?
Until those answers arrive, the most accurate description is a compact rear-wheel-drive Copen study with a running prototype—not a production third-generation roadster.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Daihatsu K-OPEN confirmed as the third-generation Copen?
No. Daihatsu calls K-OPEN a reference vehicle and separately describes a running version as a pre-production study vehicle. It has not announced production approval, a final model name, or a sales date.
Will the K-OPEN have a manual transmission?
The displayed prototype appears to use a manual gearbox, reportedly a five-speed unit. Daihatsu has not confirmed the final transmission lineup, so an automatic or CVT cannot be ruled out.
Is the K-OPEN electric or gasoline-powered?
Daihatsu officially identifies the K-OPEN as a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, internal-combustion vehicle. Engine displacement, output, fuel economy, and emissions have not been released.
Will K-OPEN launch when the current Copen ends production?
No. The current Copen is scheduled to end production in late August 2026, subject to change, but Daihatsu has not said that K-OPEN production will begin afterward.
Will the next Copen be sold in the United States or Europe?
Export plans are unknown. No U.S. launch, North American homologation plan, left-hand-drive version, or European release has been announced in the available material.
The Bottom Line
Bottom line: K-OPEN confirms that Daihatsu is seriously exploring a radically different Copen formula: a lightweight, two-seat kei roadster with a front-mounted internal-combustion engine driving the rear wheels. The displayed manual shifter and retro styling strengthen the connection to an enthusiast-focused Copen successor, but the production name, specifications, timing, price, and export markets remain unconfirmed.
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