Kei car is a term used to classify a Japanese category of small vehicles, including passenger cars, vans, and pickup trucks. The small, colourful and vibrant vehicles have attained much success in the home market of Japan while the genre of automobile is generally too specialised and too small to be profitable in export markets.

While some have entered our island, one particular model has attained a cult following of sorts amidst motorists here - the Daihatsu Copen. The retractable hardtop coupe is not a performance monster but equipped with either a 660cc or a 1,300cc powerplant - it has enough juice to get you from point A to Point B.

After years of teasing and concepts it seems the much beloved Copen is getting a successor.

Armed with a name tweak - the Kopen concepts - that are about to grace the upcoming Tokyo Motor Show still comply with the strict Kei Car regulations which means housing a turbocharged three-cylinder 660cc engine linked to a CVT in a body that just measures 3,395mm long.

Based on the images it seems the Kopen would not only be available in a multitude of colours but also trims and visual appeal. Along with the Kopen, two other kei-concepts would be unveiled at Tokyo. Firstly we have the mildly bizarre FC-Deck mini-truck, a Kei truck housing a fuel-cell drivetrain and secondly we have the Deca-Deca minivan, which looks reminiscent of the Suzuki Wagon-R.