Suzuki Lapin: Okinawa’s Rabbit-Themed Rental Kei Car

The rabbit-themed Suzuki Lapin is parked by the sea at Umikaji Terrace.

Haisai! I’m CULT.
Today I’m reviewing a rental car from one of Okinawa’s bigger rental companies.. not one of the giants, more of a medium-sized, or medium-to-large? A fairly big company, anyway. Personally, I have more fun reviewing small operators, but my goal right now is to meet as many Okinawa rental companies as possible, try all sorts of cars and write about them. So here’s my UI Rent a Car review 😀

Well.. as you’d expect, the small operators have the lowest prices, while UI Rent a Car sits in the middle and costs a little more. The big companies, like Toyota, OTS and Orix.. are much more expensive. I’ll be covering them all anyway, so plan your trip around your budget!

Medium-sized and large companies pick you up at Gate 10 by Exit 4 on the 1st floor, rather than Exit 6 on the 3rd floor.

Cross the crosswalk in the photo on the right, and there should be someone holding a sign with UI Rent a Car’s name on it. Give them the name on your booking and get on the bus.

The bus doesn’t have a separate luggage compartment, but they say they don’t fill every seat. So just bring your luggage on board with you. It was a weekday afternoon, and there were only four of us on board, including me.

컬트래블

How to Use Self-Service Petrol Stations in Okinawa

Before returning your rental car in Okinawa, you'll need to refuel. Today, let's learn how to use a self-service petrol station. It's not too difficult, so anyone can easily follow along.

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You-I Rent-a-Car: Okinawa in a White N-BOX

Taking it slow past Okinawa's sea and palm trees in a white N-BOX

Here’s what the rental office looks like. They have all sorts of cars ready to go.

Inside the UI Rent a Car office, there’s a reception desk and a space to keep the kids distracted for a little while.

Today’s car comes from a package that randomly assigns you a newer kei car under 3 years old.
Someone in the open chat recently said they were curious about the Lapin.. so here it is. As for the specs..

Model: Third-generation Suzuki Lapin (the latest)
Length: 3,395mm / Width 1,475mm / Height 1,525mm
Engine: R06A 658cc 3-cylinder DOHC
Capacity: 4 seats as standard, 2 carry-on suitcases

First of all, the third-generation Lapin.. is cute.
There are rabbit decorations everywhere, rabbit logos on the front and back, and even rabbits on the floor mats. They keep popping up all over the place, but try not to get too smitten just yet..

Start the engine.. and a rabbit greets you while pouring you a cup of coffee. It takes me back to watching my Tamagotchi as a kid..

The navigation system fully supports Korean. I’ve noticed that many newer navigation systems in Japan support Korean. Of course, I’ll be using Google Auto or Apple CarPlay, but if you find those awkward to use, this system is perfectly adequate for getting around.

Here’s the exterior. I went to Umikaji Terrace for the photos again.
It does feel small, being a kei car.. but unless you’re over 190 cm tall, I don’t think you’ll find it uncomfortable. As I always say.. Japan makes really good kei cars. I recently drove a Hyundai Kona Electric for a few days, and while I think Korean cars are better when it comes to bigger vehicles, I don’t think anywhere in the world can match Japan’s kei cars.

Here’s the interior of the third-generation Lapin.
One thing that stands out to me is the one-piece rear seat. I’ve never seen a seat like this before. With no seams, it feels like one big chair, I guess? And since it’s a new car.. the interior is very clean.

The driver’s controls are.. pretty simple. And perhaps because it’s a 2024 model.. it has both USB Type-A and Type-C charging ports.

And the Lapin’s biggest talking point..
When you’re out driving and stop to wait.. the rabbits dance for you. They even say see you again when you turn off the engine..

Everything else is good, but.. the rear camera doesn’t look particularly good.. Well.. it doesn’t cause any trouble when parking, though. It’s a small kei car anyway, so parking is very easy.

The passenger-side storage compartment.. is like a desk drawer. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a perfect storage compartment in any car. Whenever I look at car storage compartments, I always think.. why make a drawer so complicated? Oh.. this is my favorite passenger-side drawer I’ve ever seen

Maybe because it’s a new car.. I noticed some parts still had their protective plastic on. That meme about plastic wrap on weighing scales is doing the rounds in Korea these days

This photo turns up in every rental car review I write. The pedals. I keep bringing this up because.. so many people leave the parking brake on and ask why the car won’t move. That’s why. Right.. the pedal on the far left is the parking brake, the middle one is the regular brake, and the one on the right is the accelerator.
When the parking brake pedal is pushed deep into the footwell, the brake is on. When it’s raised toward you, it’s released.

Now then.. for enjoying your Okinawa trip.. here’s one of the most important things.. trunk capacity. Let’s take a look, shall we?

One thing about the Lapin.. you can’t make more trunk space by sliding the rear seat forward. But the continuous seat cushion does look very neat. That leaves room for two carry-on suitcases. I couldn’t close the hatch with a 28-inch suitcase, even laid sideways.

Fold down one rear seat, leaving room for three people, and you can fit this much luggage. If all three of you bring small suitcases, there’s quite a bit of space left over.

Fold both rear seats down, leaving room for two people, and.. you get quite a lot more space. With luggage, I think it’s good for two or three travelers, and for two people, it seems like a good choice: fairly cheap to rent, with the bonus of being a new car

You need to refuel before returning the car. There’s a large gas station across from UI Rent a Car, so there’s no need to worry too much. And even self-service stations.. have one or two staff members, so if you’re refueling and thinking, what’s this?.. you can ask for help.
As with any rental car, you need to return it with a full tank, so it’s good to know beforehand 😀

At a staffed gas station, just say “Mantan kudasai~” and have your card ready. For self-service gas stations, check the linked card for instructions.

You can’t open the Lapin’s fuel door from outside, so pull the fuel door release lever low on the right side of the driver’s area. Then follow the instructions at the self-service gas station. Of course.. the Lapin takes regular gasoline from the red nozzle.

The Lapin.. already gets good fuel economy, and being new, it’s even more fuel-efficient.. so it shouldn’t take much fuel. If you spend 3 nights and 4 days traveling around northern Okinawa.. I’d expect it to cost about 2,000–3,000 yen at most.

I say this. Every time. Keep your receipt after refueling. You could end up in a dispute with the rental company.

A full tank is a lovely sight. Now, off to the UI Rent a Car office.

When you reach the office, park in a suitable spot and head inside. The staff will guide you. Well.. there’s nothing difficult about it.

They check a few things, like whether there are any scratches and whether the tank is full. Once they give you the okay, the return is done!

After returning the car, wait a little while and you can catch the next bus to the airport. It drops you off at Gate 10 by Exit 4 on the 1st floor, where you first boarded. If you’re heading back to Korea, take the elevator up to the 3rd floor. That’s the only floor where you can check in 😀

When I rented it, the price was 5,900 yen per day, including basic insurance. NOC insurance was 1,100 yen, so the total daily rental cost was 7,000 yen.

They randomly assign you a newer kei car under 3 years old, and every one is clean. Some people ask why the kei cars are randomly assigned.. Well, kei cars are actually what you rent most often when traveling in Japan. With so many rentals, there are plenty of accidents too, so a few cars are always in the repair shop. If they took bookings for specific models, they wouldn’t be able to accept reservations, so they take bookings under the kei car category instead.

I’ll be back with more Okinawa travel information to help you have the perfect trip. Mata yasai!