Toyota have showcased the direction the Japanese automotive giants are steering towards with the concept vehicles the company have brought to this years Tokyo Motor Show.
Toyota Fine-Comfort Ride Concept
This vehicle is a new hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle (FCV) which claims to deliver a range of over 1,000 km and showcases a flexible seating arrangement for six individuals. The car has electric motors in all four wheels instead of a single combustion engine at the front, which frees up more cabin room in the concept car. The exterior adopts a diamond-shaped cabin which narrows towards the rear, while being wider in all dimensions from the front to the centre of the vehicle, maximising second-row space.
Toyota GR HV Sports Concept
The next attraction from Toyota is the intended replacement for the popular driver’s car from the Toyota stable, the GT86. This is the company’s future sports car which claims to deliver the thrill of a sports car, while being sensitive to the environment. The design is inspired by the Toyota Gazoo Racing TS050 hybrid race car that competes in the World Endurance Championship. It features a targa top similar to the Supra sport-convertible and the legendary Toyota Sports 800 (also known as the ‘Yotahachi’). The car is powered by a THS-R (Toyota Hybrid System-Racing) which is infused with hybrid technology refined by the TS050 and paired to an automatic transmission.
Toyota Tj Cruiser Concept
Another vehicle to preview will be the new Tj Cruiser Concept which is the company’s new crossover. It claims to give the best of both worlds – a robust SUV design, with the practicality of a family van. The ‘T’ in the name stands for ‘Toolbox’ which hints at the usability of the vehicle, the ‘j’ stands for ‘Joy’ (of driving, we presume). The car is based on a next-gen platform, coming paired with 2.0-litre motor paired with the hybrid system, with power going to the front-wheels, there will be an option of an AWD (All-Wheel Drive) model. An amazing feature in the concept vehicle is that the front and rear passenger seats can be reclined completely flat for storing long items up to 3 metres in length, such as surfboards; Let’s hit the waves, bro!
Toyota Crown Concept and Century
The new Crown Concept is going to be the 15th generation of the model range which started back in 1955. The Crown is to be positioned above the Camry and below the Century. The new Crown Concept is far more sportier in design than its predecessors and claims to follow the companies desire to make ‘Fun to Drive’ vehicles. The new car follows the new TNGA (Toyota Next Generation Architecture) platform and is currently being tested rigorously at the Nürburgring.
Toyota have also announced the third generation of the Century limousine, their answer to established super-luxury car makers. The Century was sold exclusively in Japan and has been in production since 1967. The first-gen Century was powered by a 3.0-litre V8 engine later uprated to 4.0-litre unit until 1997, seeing a production run of 30 years! The second-gen Century, introduced in 1997, saw few design changes from the first-gen but a new 5.0-litre V12 motor developing 276 PS. Production for this model continued until 2016. The new Century has been introduced and is powered by a 5.0-litre V8 engine along with a hybrid system. The exterior design traces its roots to the special Toyota Century Royal from 2006 which was a special one-off for the Emperor of Japan.
Along with the new concept vehicles on display at the Tokyo Motor Show. Toyota will also showcase the Concept-i vehicle, which display the companies development into autonomous tech. The first Concept-i was showcased at the CES (Consumer Electronic Show) held in Las Vegas in January 2017 this year. Toyota will now be showcasing some more autonomous vehicles in Tokyo.
Story: Sahej Patheja
