Suzuki pitched the Cervo as its sporty kei car — but anyone over 5'8" would crack their head on the roof just sitting in it.
Lead trim: 543 cc F5A carburettor (29 PS) · up to 39 hp
Suzuki Cervo SS40SS40 · 1982–1988
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Nobody in Burbles has spotted a Suzuki Cervo SS40 yet. See one on the street, point the app at it, and the first card is yours — with your @handle permanently credited on this page.
FactSuzuki pitched the Cervo as its sporty kei car — but anyone over 5'8" would crack their head on the roof just sitting in it.
An all-new Cervo presented in June 1982 on the underpinnings of the recently changed Alto/Fronte, now front-wheel drive with a transverse four-stroke F5A three-cylinder; a twin-choke carburettor gave 29 PS against the Alto's 28. The driving position was low and sporty (anyone over 172 cm would hit their head), and it was the first Cervo with an automatic, a two-speed. Its model code was SS40 C (Alto SS40 V, Fronte SS40 S, Mighty Boy SS40 T). The turbocharged CT and CT-G, from November 1983, carried Suzuki's first forced-induction car engine, and the range was rationalised in February 1987, when the turbo was dropped, leaving the sporty CS-G and the lower CS-D. By January 1988 a new Cervo had been presented and the SS40C was discontinued shortly after; it never received all the technical improvements of its Alto sister.
Collectors Spotted in the Suzuki Cervo Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the Suzuki Cervo yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
3 published trims in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 543 cc F5A carburettor (29 PS) | 1982–1985 | 0.5 L Inline-3 | 29 hp | 30 lb-ft | — | FWD | — | — |
| 543 cc F5A new carburettor (31 PS) | 1985–1988 | 0.5 L Inline-3 | 31 hp | 32 lb-ft | — | FWD | — | — |
| 543 cc F5A turbo (40 PS) | 1983–1987 | 0.5 L Inline-3 | 39 hp | 40 lb-ft | — | FWD | — | — |
Owning one
We don’t estimate running costs for a car like this. What it costs depends on its condition, its specialist and how it is driven, and an average would mislead.
Owners’ builds
Nobody has claimed one yet.
Photographs
The HG21S Cervo SR pulled off something no other turbocharged kei car managed — qualifying for Japan’s lower eco-tax grade while still being the most powerful version in the lineup.
The SR-Four trim made this Cervo a double first — only the second kei car with a four-cylinder engine, and the very first with a 16-valve DOHC turbo.
This kei car quietly beat the world to electric power steering in 1988 — offered as a pricey surcharge option, a decade before EPS went mainstream.
Suzuki pitched the Cervo as its sporty kei car — but anyone over 5'8" would crack their head on the roof just sitting in it.
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Suzuki marketed this Cervo mainly to women, calling one trim the CX-L, its own ladies' version.
Rivals
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.
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