Suzuki Alto Lapin
Encyclopedia
The Suzuki Alto Lapin is a retro-styled Kei car
with a 5-door hatchback
body, manufactured since 2002 by Suzuki
for the Japan
ese market only, and also marketed in Japan only by Mazda
as Mazda Spiano under an OEM
agreement under their Autozam
marque. It is based on Suzuki's popular Alto
kei car.
The Lapin has a very distinctive, boxy shape, that apparently proved popular with female buyers. The name "Lapin" stems from the French word for "rabbit
", and the car sports rabbit-head badges. The Mazda version has differences concerning some styling details, including a different front end.
The car is powered by the Suzuki's K6A kei car engine, in either naturally aspirated (40 kW / 54 hp) or turbocharged
(44 kW / 60 hp) versions, available with either front-wheel drive
or all-wheel drive. The default transmission is a 4-speed automatic
, with a 5-speed manual
available in turbo versions.
Kei car
Kei cars, K-cars, or , are a Japanese category of small vehicles, including passenger cars, vans, and pickup trucks. They are designed to comply with Japanese government tax and insurance regulations, and in most rural areas are exempted from the requirement to certify that adequate parking is...
with a 5-door hatchback
Hatchback
A Hatchback is a car body style incorporating a shared passenger and cargo volume, with rearmost accessibility via a rear third or fifth door, typically a top-hinged liftgate—and features such as fold-down rear seats to enable flexibility within the shared passenger/cargo volume. As a two-box...
body, manufactured since 2002 by Suzuki
Suzuki
is a Japanese multinational corporation headquartered in Hamamatsu, Japan that specializes in manufacturing compact automobiles and 4x4 vehicles, a full range of motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles , outboard marine engines, wheelchairs and a variety of other small internal combustion engines...
for the Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese market only, and also marketed in Japan only by Mazda
Mazda
is a Japanese automotive manufacturer based in Fuchū, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan.In 2007, Mazda produced almost 1.3 million vehicles for global sales...
as Mazda Spiano under an OEM
Original Equipment Manufacturer
An original equipment manufacturer, or OEM, manufactures products or components that are purchased by a company and retailed under that purchasing company's brand name. OEM refers to the company that originally manufactured the product. When referring to automotive parts, OEM designates a...
agreement under their Autozam
Autozam
In the late 1980s, Mazda diversified in the Japan market with the launch of three new marques. The company created Autozam, Eunos, and Efini, in addition to the Mazda and Ford brands already marketed there. This experiment was ended in the mid-1990s....
marque. It is based on Suzuki's popular Alto
Suzuki Alto
The Suzuki Alto is a small car designed by Suzuki. Its selling points include low price and good fuel economy. The model was introduced in 1979 and has been built in many countries worldwide.-1st generation :...
kei car.
The Lapin has a very distinctive, boxy shape, that apparently proved popular with female buyers. The name "Lapin" stems from the French word for "rabbit
Rabbit
Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, found in several parts of the world...
", and the car sports rabbit-head badges. The Mazda version has differences concerning some styling details, including a different front end.
The car is powered by the Suzuki's K6A kei car engine, in either naturally aspirated (40 kW / 54 hp) or turbocharged
Turbocharger
A turbocharger, or turbo , from the Greek "τύρβη" is a centrifugal compressor powered by a turbine that is driven by an engine's exhaust gases. Its benefit lies with the compressor increasing the mass of air entering the engine , thereby resulting in greater performance...
(44 kW / 60 hp) versions, available with either front-wheel drive
Front-wheel drive
Front-wheel drive is a form of engine/transmission layout used in motor vehicles, where the engine drives the front wheels only. Most modern front-wheel drive vehicles feature a transverse engine, rather than the conventional longitudinal engine arrangement generally found in rear-wheel drive and...
or all-wheel drive. The default transmission is a 4-speed automatic
Automatic transmission
An automatic transmission is one type of motor vehicle transmission that can automatically change gear ratios as the vehicle moves, freeing the driver from having to shift gears manually...
, with a 5-speed manual
Manual transmission
A manual transmission, also known as a manual gearbox or standard transmission is a type of transmission used in motor vehicle applications...
available in turbo versions.