Tokyo show extremes: very odd, very normal
Where does the car go from here? Hydrogen? Doorless? Four home-grown ideas from the Tokyo motor show
Turns out fuel-cell cars don’t have to be ugly
Toyota’s trailblazing hydrogen fuel-cell Mirai is back, and this time it’s way less ugly. Despite the infrastructure challenges, Toyota remains convinced the technology is the future (zero-emissions EV power but with refuelling as fast as petrol). And now the Mirai’s been reinvented as a handsome sports saloon that looks a bit like a Lexus, it might actually stand a chance of being bought in some numbers – and of saving the world.
TOYOTA MIRAI CONCEPT: NEED TO KNOW
What is it? A preview of Toyota’s second stab at a hydrogen fuel cell production car Tech specs All-new platform underpins a lower, sleeker car that’s 85mm longer than before. Range is increased by 30 per cent Any rivals? Honda’s Clarity When will it be real? 2020
Honda Jazz goes hybrid-only
Available in the same colour rinse as the customers who will continue to buy it in large numbers, the next Jazz supermini is going hybridonly as part of Honda’s plans to electrify everything it makes by 2022. The design apes the minimalism of the Honda e electric city car; Europe also gets the Crosstar pseud0-adventure trim pictured, with loftier ride height and chunkier bumpers. In a doomed attempt to appeal to young ’uns, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are standard.
HYUNDAI JAZZ: NEED TO KNOW
What is it? Your nan’s next supermarket runabout Tech specs i-MMD hybrid tech from CR-V, interior details from e EV, wi-fi hotspot that absolutely no one will ever use Any rivals? Ford Fiesta Active and the car to the right When will it be real? On sale summer 2020
Mitsu’s desert detour in search of new ASX
The Mi-Tech is a hybrid concept car as riddling as a 3D sudoku puzzle. At face value, it’s a teeny beach buggy with titanic wheels that can be counter-rotated, enabling the Mi-Tech to spin on a sixpence. Four rear turbines force air into a small combustion engine, to charge the battery pack. A neat idea, but vapourware for now. The takeaways are that the design previews a small SUV to replace the ASX, certain to be electrified and with likely all-wheel drive when it lands in 2021.
MITSUBISHI MI TECH CONCEPT: NEED TO KNOW
What is it? A plug-in hybrid rugged buggy. How’s the charging network on the Baja 1000? Tech specs Twin electric motors on both axles, to live up to Mitsubishi’s AWD brand billing Any rivals? Scores of ’em: Seat Arona, Renault Captur, Nissan Juke et al When will it be real? 2021
All-new Toyota Yaris slims down
Toyota’s gone for a more aggressive design in its efforts to give the fifth-generation Yaris extra youthful appeal. It’s not just a visual upgrade – there are new lower, wider underpinnings that are around 20kg lighter than before. Expect all European models to be 1.5-litre hybrids (with a claimed 15 per cent rise in power and 20 per cent rise in fuel economy). The cockpit takes inspiration from the bigger C-HR with its chunky seats, digital dials and swooping lines.
TOYOTA YARIS: NEED TO KNOW
What is it? Your nan’s other choice of supermarket runabout Tech specs
Latest hybrid powertrain and all-new platform. It’s the first supermini with a central airbag Any rivals? Vauxhall Corsa, Renault Clio, the car to the left When will it be real? September 2020; hotter GR version 2021