JMS 2025: Sporty Daihatsu K-Open Concept Previews Next-Gen Copen

The all-new Daihatsu K-Open concept previews the next-gen Copen roadster kei car.

It appears that the BYD Racco and Honda Super-One aren’t the only kei cars being unveiled at the ongoing Japan Mobility Show 2025 (JMS 2025), as Daihatsu also presented one, in the form of the sporty Daihatsu K-Open concept. As its playful name implies, this small roadster concept previews the next-generation Daihatsu Copen, which will replace the current model once its production concludes next year.

Unlike the Miata-sized Vision Copen concept shown back in 2023, the new K-Open concept stays true to the original Copen’s compact proportions, featuring a retro-futuristic design with lots of rounded and oval design elements.

Up front, the K-Open concept gets the same oval-shaped headlights as the original Copen, but this time around featuring intricate LED signatures. They are mated with a more aggressive front bumper with wide lower air intakes and a pair of vertical side vents that help to channel air through to the front wheels.

Things get pretty sporty once we get to the K-Open’s side profile, where the concept rocks flared-out fenders to give it a sportier and more aggressive stance while riding on aero-optimised wheels. Moving further back, the concept gets a matching oval taillight design as the front one, plus a centre-mounted tailpipe.

Thanks to its open-top design, we can see that the K-Open retains the Copen’s two-seater layout, although this time around the cabin looks pretty minimalistic and modern. Interestingly, there's no infotainment screen in sight, with the only visible display being its digital metre cluster that hides behind a three-spoke steering wheel.

Other key highlights here include sporty seats with heavy bolstering, a floating central console with a traditional handbrake lever and a manual gear shifter, several touch-sensitive controls on the front dash, metal accents, lightweight Alcantara upholstery, racecar-style door pull straps, and many more.

Beyond the design, Daihatsu has confirmed that the K-Open will get a full combustion powertrain setup with the same front-engined rear-wheel drive (RWD) layout as the original Copen. While kei car regulations limit them to a puny 660-cc engine, the Japanese automaker is committed to bringing “the excitement that only a kei car can provide” to this concept.

“It might be difficult to convey how amazing it is, but achieving rear-wheel drive in a front-engine car with such a compact body is truly incredible. You need to place the engine low, carefully package the transmission and propeller shaft, and design the pedal layout so that everything fits perfectly into this body,” said Toyota President & CEO Koji Sato during the product presentation of the K-Open.

Daihatsu has yet to unveil any solid timeline for the next-gen Copen, although it might take several years before we get to see the actual production version of this sporty concept. That said, the current-gen Copen’s production will be stopped sometime later in 2026, so maybe it won’t be that long of a wait after all.