Suzuki Twin

Start with what the Suzuki Twin is: a 2-door coupe with 658&nbsp, built from 2003 to 2005, in the decade of stability control, dual-clutch gearboxes and the first serious hybrids. What it meant takes a little longer.

Where it came from

The Suzuki Twin is a kei car built by Suzuki and sold in Japan from January 22, 2003, until October 2005. It was available in both hybrid and non-hybrid versions, making it the first hybrid kei car available in Japan. Under the Japanese test cycle, the standard model was capable of 4.54 L/100 km (51.8 mpg‑US; 62.2 mpg‑imp) whereas the hybrid variant was capable of 2.93 L/100 km (80 mpg‑US; 96 mpg‑imp). Designed primarily for young females, the Suzuki Twin is slightly longer than the Smart Fortwo.

It featured many new and unique features including a passenger seat that could fold completely flat and become a storage tray and a single power window on the driver's side to reduce battery use and cut costs. The Twin's design and concept were first seen in the Suzuki PU3 Commuter concept car at the Tokyo Motor Show. A near-production update was shown at the 2002 Tokyo Motor Show before finally being released in 2003. In August 2003, motoring magazine Car and Driver test drove the Twin with mostly negative remarks. The Twin's acceleration, storage and interior furnishings were all criticized whilst its headroom and turning diameter were praised.

Under the skin

The engine is 658&nbsp. On the scales it comes to 570 kg. Drive goes through a 3/4-speed automatic / 5-speed manual. The layout matters: the engine drives the front wheels, the packaging choice that gives a small car a big cabin. The wheelbase is 1800 mm. These are manufacturer figures carried by Wikipedia and Wikidata, not road-test measurements.

In context

In the Suzuki line-up the Suzuki Twin has a clear place: it handed the line to the Suzuki Cervo (HG11S). The cars a buyer would have weighed it against include the Mazda RX-8, the Bentley Continental GT, the Mazda Mazda3. Nearby in the Suzuki catalogue sit the Suzuki XL-7 and the Suzuki Landy.