2003-2005 Suzuki Twin
Suzuki Twin 2003-2005, MMA #016 2023. The Suzuki Twin was a 2-door coupe, microcar Kei car designed and marketed specifically to women in Japan. Available as petrol car and electrical hybrid it was the first hybrid Kei car in Japan and sold as a 4-speed automatic or 5 Speed manual.
It included some interesting design features: a passenger seat that could fold flat becoming a storage tray, and one power window on the driver’s side only, and no air conditioning and no power steering to reduce battery use and running costs. However, the air conditioning and power steering were available in the automatic model. A stereo was not standard, and the optional unit offered featured only a single speaker. This made the Twin very economical with very few things to go wrong on such a simple but stylish microcar. It weighed 570 kg (1,257 lb) manual transmission and 600 kg (1,323 lb) automatic transmission and hybrid. The car was 2735 mm (107.7 in) long, 1475 mm (58.1 in) wide, and 1450 mm (57 in) high with a wheelbase of 1800 mm (71 in)
The Suzuki Twin had a 658cc in-line three-cylinder engine capable of 4.54 L/100 km in the petrol variant and 2.93 L/100 km in the hybrid. Powered by a Suzuki K6A engine with DOHC 3 cylinder 4 valves per cylinder. The hybrid had a simple configuration comprising linked 12v motorcycle lead-acid batteries, and a 5kW (7bhp), 8cm-deep motor fitted between the engine and automatic gearbox. The lead-acid batteries being environmentally responsible as a highly recycled commodity.
The Suzuki Twin was made with 560 mm cropped from the wheelbase of the well-known Suzuki Alto. This reduced the Twin to just 1.8 metres long, allowing a turning circle of 7.2 metres. The Smart Fortwo another modern microcar was only slightly shorter than the Suzuki Twin.
With the curved design the Twin had ‘cute’ appeal and it came in a variety of primary colours and lighter tones in the hybrid. When released the Twin was criticised for its acceleration, storage, and interior furnishings but its headroom and turning circle were applauded. Not surprising due to the tiny Kei car engine and diminutive design.
10,000 units were produced before the Suzuki Alto resumed the position of Suzuki’s smallest Kei car in 2006.
To obtain one of the Suzuki Twin models, please see them here.
References
Hagerty, The Suzuki Twin was like a kid’s drawing made real, by Antony Ingram 28 December 2022, viewed 6/8/2023, https://www.hagerty.co.uk/articles/car-profiles/the-suzuki-twin-was-like-a-kids-drawing-made-real/
Wikipedia, Suzuki Twin, viewed 6/8/2023, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suzuki_Twin?wprov=sfti1