If there’s one hill I’m willing to die on, it’s that kei cars should be made available here in Britain. Incentivised, even. Many of the roads on this dinky island we call home were laid down when the Roman gods were still kicking about and have barely grown in size since. Just about wide enough for an original Mini or ox cart, less so a two-and-a-half-tonne SUV like the Audi RS Q8 we reviewed this week. It’s partly thanks to our ever-increasing appetite for humongous and heavy cars that the roads are in such a woeful state. However, make some kei cars available and give people an incentive to buy them, and those issues should swiftly go away.
Not that we haven’t received a kei car or two over the years, mind. Daihatsu has given us a number of 660cc micro cars over the years, some more fun (the Copen) than others (the non-sporty versions of the Move and Cuore), while Nissan's small European offering was the Pixo, which took everything joyful about a kei car and chucked it away. Not that Nissan had much to do with the Pixo anyway, as it was essentially a re-bodied Suzuki Alto. That car, along with the Jimny, Ignis and (briefly) the Cappuccino, are perhaps the best-selling kei cars to be officially offered in Britain, which makes it all the more frustrating that we never got the car you see here: the Alto Turbo RS.
Now, granted, Japanese carmakers are limited in what they can do with a kei car. The ruleset, which allows for cheaper tax and insurance, among other incentives, dictates that engines can be no greater than 660cc in size and can be no longer than 3.4 metres, no wider than 1.48 metres and no taller than 2.0 metres (hence why some are hilarious narrow and tall). Although there’s no official cap on power, a 64hp limit is observed as part of a gentleman’s agreement. Which doesn’t sound like much at all, but given the standard Alto produced around 51hp from a naturally-aspirated triple, the addition of a turbocharger for the Turbo RS brought a fairly substantial hike in power.
Let’s not forget either that kei cars make a Lotus Elise look porky. Even when you factor in the all-wheel drive system, the Turbo RS tips the scales at just 720kg, giving it a power-to-weight ratio of, well, 89hp per tonne. Not exactly hair-raising, but that’s still more than enough to put a grin on your face. Besides, the unofficial cap on power meant Suzuki could focus its efforts elsewhere. The dampers were sportier KYB items, the front brake discs ventilated and a strut brace fitted for better rigidity. It even came with a flappy-paddle gearbox, with all Turbo RS models getting a five-speed automated manual.
It wouldn’t be a proper sporty kei without a punchy bodykit and, boy, did the Turbo RS deliver. The bumpers and skirt sit lower and have a more aggressive look to them, and there’s the tiniest of tiny spoilers poking out from above the boot lid. Those part grey, part silver 15-inch alloys look magnificent against the pearl white paintwork, while the interior gets sportier seats with red stitching.
Chances are it’s just as much of a riot to drive as it looks, and while it won’t set your trousers on fire it’ll surely be the best way to have fun while driving well within the speed limit. And it’s cheap, too. The seller’s asking £8,985 for the car you see here, which has recently been imported with 57,000 miles on the clock. All the paperwork has been sorted and the dash has been swapped for a UK-spec version with miles instead of kilometres, so it’s ready to go once you’ve paid the seller. What are you waiting for? Cars don't get much cheaper and lighter than this.
SPECIFICATION | SUZUKI ALTO TURBO RS
Engine: 659cc three-cylinder, turbocharged
Transmission: five-speed automated manual, all-wheel drive
Power (hp): 64@6,000rpm
Torque (lb ft): 72@3,000rpm
MPG: N/A
CO2: N/A
Year registered: 2015
Recorded mileage: 57,000
Price new: N/A (Japan)
Yours for: £8,985
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