Toyota Reveals Production Prius C; Will Bring It, FT-86, and Three Concepts to Tokyo Auto Show

Tokyo is as close as Toyota gets to having an auto show on its home turf. And like the Detroit Three do at the Motor City’s annual blowout, the Japanese company is set to debut a large batch of concept and production cars at this year’s Tokyo show. The production-ready versions of the rear-drive FT-86 sports car and the Prius C (called Aqua in Japan) will be on hand, as will three green concept cars with names made up of alphabet-soup acronyms: Fun-Vii (Fun Vehicle interactive internet), FCV-R (Fuel Cell Vehicle – Reality & Revolution), and FT-EV III (Future Toyota – Electric Vehicle III).

2012 Prius C

Thanks to a leaked Japanese-market brochure, we already know most of the upcoming Prius C’s specifics, but Toyota released a few official photos along with some new information on the eve of the car’s Tokyo debut. The company claims that the C will return more than 50 mpg in city driving, greater than any non-plug-in hybrid. The larger Prius is rated at 51 mpg in city driving, so we assume the C will beat that figure. Bluetooth connectivity, steering-wheel-mounted audio controls, and nine airbags will be standard on the U.S. model; Toyota’s new Entune infotainment system will be optional. The C is set to go on sale in Japan in late December 2011 before hitting other markets. Interestingly, those other markets won’t include Europe—we imagine the Continent’s cool attitude towards hybrids played a factor in Toyota’s decision.

2012 FT-86

Toyota didn’t give away any new information or release any photos of the upcoming FT-86 sports car (the FT-86 II concept is pictured above) that will be revealed in Tokyo. The FT-86 was co-developed by Toyota and Subaru, and Subie’s version, the BRZ, also will debut at the Tokyo show. We already know most of the FT-86’s mechanical details and we’ve seen what it will look like via a leaked brochure, but we expect to finally get the official run-down after its Tokyo premiere.

Fun-Vii Concept

To be honest, we’re not completely sure what the Fun-Vii concept is all about, or even what the acronym in its name means. According to Toyota, the “Fun Vehicle interactive internet” is the company’s “vision of a future where people, cars, and society are linked.” Sure. And no, we don’t know what is going on in the photo above. Guess we’ll have to wait until its reveal to see what this one’s all about.

FT-EV III Concept

As the FT-EV III’s name—“Future Toyota – Electric Vehicle III”—suggests, it is the third in a line of electric concept vehicles Toyota has developed to showcase a future short-range production EV. If you’re thinking it looks a lot like a Toyota/Scion iQ, that’s because it is an iQ, but electric. The original FT-EV was unabashedly an electric iQ, while the FT-EV II that followed a few months later was much more unique and was less iQ-like. (It wore bespoke styling and was significantly smaller than the iQ). Toyota says the FT-EV III’s lithium-ion battery is good for a 65-mile range on the optimistic Japanese JC08 testing cycle and that its EV technology will migrate to a production vehicle due sometime in 2012. We know that Scion will sell an electric iQ to fleets in 2012, so this could be a preview of that car.

FCV-R Concept

Like Honda, which has delivered a few copies of its FCX Clarity to real customers, Toyota is serious about fuel-cell vehicles. More than just a Prius with a Fu Manchu mustache, the FCV-R concept is another step toward the goal of putting such a car on the road by 2015. The fuel-cell stack, with a high-pressure hydrogen tank, has been improved to provide a cruising distance of about 435 miles.

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Daihatsu to unveil trio of concepts at 2011 Tokyo Motor Show

At the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show Daihatsu will present three different concept cars: Pico, a 2-seater electric city car; D-X, a compact reconfigurable sportscar; and FC Sho Care, a fuel cell boxy vehicle.

The three concepts are focused on different transport applications and share the compact dimensions and a particular focus on fuel efficiency.

The Pico is a compact city commuter targeted to a wide range of customers, including elderly people.

The D-X is more oriented towards leisure activities and features a reconfigurable body, a compact 2-cylinder turbocharged unit and resin-based outer panels.

The FC Sho Case is a experimental vehicle with a boxy design that explores the potential of fuel cell powertrains. Among the features are the boxy design and the single, large gullwing door.

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Honda in Tokyo / Seven Concepts Debuting / All Electrified (One’s a Sports Car)

At its home-market auto show in Tokyo, Honda will unveil three concept cars, three two-wheeled concepts, and one folding chair on wheels. Each has some sort of electrification, either with batteries alone or in a hybrid system. Short on info, we present this preview in haiku.

Small Sports EV Concept

Open-top driving
With the motor in the back
EV could be fun

AC-X Concept

Plug-in hybrid car
We’ve seen your platform before
Are you an Accord?

Micro Commuter Concept

The future is now
Everything looks crazy here
Welcome to Japan

Motor Compo Concept

You scoot around town
With a mobile power source
Wall-E would be proud

E-Canopy Concept

Serene on three wheels
Electricity moves you
Delivery man

RC-E Concept

Compact and lightweight
The road ahead is curvy
On this EV bike

Townwalker Concept

Exalt the elders
Who ride in this chair
It fits in a trunk

The company also will show the first in its new series of N minicars, the N BOX. It’s a kei car with rear sliding doors. And it’s boxy. The letter N has a history with little Hondas, having been used in the 1960s and ’70s on the N360 and N600.

Tags: 2011 Tokyo auto show, auto shows, electric, Honda, Honda AC-X concept, Honda E-Canopy concept, Honda Micro Commuter concept, Honda Motor Compo concept, Honda N BOX, Honda RC-E concept, Honda Small Sports EV concept, Honda Townwalker concept, plug-in hybrid |

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Tokyo 2011: Nissan Pivo 3 Concept Looks Like a Computer Mouse

The upcoming Tokyo auto show will host Nissan’s wacky all-electric Pivo 3 concept, which follows Pivo concepts 1 and 2 as Tokyo debutants. But unlike its forebears, this latest Pivo looks almost normal. (Well, as normal as a wheeled computer mouse can, anyway. Don’t you just want to pick it up and click the windshield?) Pivos 1 and 2 looked like rolling crustaceans and featured passenger “bubbles” that could rotate 360 degrees relative to their sled-like chassis. Pivo 2 added the ability to “crab-walk” sideways into parking spaces and to verbally interact with the driver. The Pivo 3 may not push as many envelopes—being that it can’t crab walk and lacks a hamster-ball passenger cell—but it still packs several tricks up its sleeves.

First off, the Nissan can roll those sleeves back: Its two doors slide open like a minivan’s to facilitate ingress and egress in narrow parking spaces. The doors open to a futuristic cabin that seats three. The driver’s chair is forward and to the center, and it’s flanked by the two passenger seats. The doors aren’t the Pivo 3’s only parking aids; the car is equipped with a flotilla of electronics and gizmos designed to make it a parking-lot champ. The little EV uses in-wheel electric motors and rear-wheel steering, which allow it to have an extremely tight turning radius. Nissan claims the roughly 10-foot-long Pivo 3 can pull off a U-turn on a road that’s just 13 feet wide.

Finally, drivers can activate the Pivo 3’s “Automatic Valet Parking” system and send the car off on its own to find a parking space. The 3 will return to the parking lot’s exit to meet its driver when summoned via smartphone. The catch is that this can only happen in AVP-friendly parking lots of the future, so don’t expect this to happen anytime soon. Like the two previous Pivos, this one is more fantasy than anything else, but its always fun to dream—and there’s no better place to showcase sky-high pie than in Tokyo.

Tags: 2011 Tokyo auto show, Nissan, Nissan PIVO 3 concept |

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Tokyo 2011: Mitsubishi Global Mirage Compact, PX-MiEV II Plug-In Hybrid Crossover

Down—particularly here in the U.S.—but not completely out, Mitsubishi is plowing ahead with plans to release vehicles that are either small or electrified (or both, as with the i minicar). To that end, Mitsubishi’s display at the 2011 Tokyo auto show will include these two world premieres.

Oh My God, It’s a Mirage

The most significant of Mitsubishi’s Tokyo debuts is the new Mirage subcompact, which replaces the Colt in some markets and was previewed back in Geneva earlier this year. Mitsubishi claims it has reduced mass in “almost every part of the car” compared to the Colt and also reduced rolling resistance and drag in order to achieve an estimated 70 mpg (on the Japanese cycle). Motivation comes from a 1.0-liter three-cylinder gas-engine/CVT combo with stop/start functionality. Mitsubishi considers the five-passenger Mirage a “global” car—it goes on sale first in Thailand in March of 2012—and says it will succeed in emerging markets on account of its affordability, as well as in “advanced” markets because of fuel-economy and C02-related mandates. Mitsubishi has not, however, confirmed that its interpretation of the word “global” includes our particular corner of the earth, although reports suggest the Mirage may arrive here in 2013. We’re sure U.S. Mitsubishi dealers would love to have it.

PX-MiEV II Concept: Second Verse, Almost the Same as the First

The other Mitsubishi debutant worthy of examination is the PX-MiEV-II crossover. (Don’t want to peep the sequel without seeing the original? Check out the PX-MiEV I here. We’ll wait.) Like the first one, this latest PX contains an extended-range electric-based powertrain; its looks may also preview how Mitsubishi plans to aesthetically update its Outlander crossover. That model is now in its seventh year without a major redesign.

Mitsubishi claims that the PX-MiEV-II’s high-capacity batteries are capable of storing enough energy to travel more than 30 miles on electricity alone before the 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine fires up; it has a generator capacity of 70 kW/94 hp. Total range is a claimed to be just shy of 500 miles. “Depending on power consumption and remaining battery charge,” however, the engine may also kick in to drive the wheels “as necessary.” Two 81-hp electric motors drive Mitsu’s Super All-Wheel Control all-wheel drive system.

The driver has the ability to switch between all-electric motoring and “Battery Charge Mode” on the fly, so the engine can replenish the batteries even if they’re not close to dead. This is a handy feature that could, say, help avoid congestion charges for petrochemical-fueled cars in global city centers: Fully charge your batteries on the way downtown, pop it into EV mode when you get there, and potentially avoid a fee. Mitsubishi also suggests that one use the juice stored in the batteries to power electric appliances when camping (margarita blenders!) or in “other outdoor pursuits.”

Will we ever see an Outlander E-REV in the U.S.? We’re not sure if Mitsubishi has a future in the U.S. at this point, but a nice-looking and more capacious alternative to the Volt would be welcome, and the company has publicly emphasized alternative-powered vehicles in its U.S. product plans. So, yeah, it makes sense—if Mitsu survives.

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Subaru Set to Debut Advanced Tourer Concept at Tokyo Auto Show

The biennial Tokyo auto show always presents a handful of unique and eye-catching concepts. Few are even remotely feasible, but that just makes the weirdest ones even more interesting. The Subaru Advanced Tourer Concept, however, is one 2011 Tokyo debutant we would love to see make production in some form, in part because it is a wagon and in part because it plain looks good.

Subaru is calling the ATC a "grand touring car of the future," albeit one that is roughly as "grand" as any Impreza-size car can be. Does it preview a wagon variant of the Impreza, which is currently offered in sedan and five-door forms? Subaru says that, as a company, it "has shown the most strength in the sports wagon category," and that the ATC "demonstrates Subaru's direction toward the future." So, maybe. Hopefully.

Greetings, ATC. Audi You Do?

Bracketed by a pair of slab-sided front fenders is a face that even an Audi stylist could love (and possibly find rather familiar)-hexagonal grille, A3-like LED lights, and all. The concept flaunts its unbridled wagonness with a chunky D-pillar, but we don't expect the double-gullwing doors on any production Subaru ever, no matter how grand it may be.

An all-glass roof allows ample lighting to the ATC's four-place interior, which features a wide variety of wood and metal finishes. Among the more frightening interior innovations is a monitor in the middle of the steering wheel with which the driver can adjust audio, climate, and cruise-control settings, as well as view maps, the internet, and even TV. Rather than ponder a future of automotive autopilot, we'll suggest Subaru put that monitor back in the dash.

Powering the all-wheel-drive ATC is a 1.6-liter, turbocharged, direct-injection version of Subaru's new boxer-four. Subaru made no mention of power for either the engine or the claimed hybrid system, except to say that the engine's output is similar to "current leading turbo engines." To us, that means horsepower and torque in the neighborhood of 180. The third member in this powertrain is a CVT-Subaru plans to replace most (if not all) of its automatic transmissions with rubber bands in the future. Overall, the company says the ATC should better the fuel economy of its existing products by up to 50 percent.

Preview of the WRX/STI?

With its road-scraping stance, aggressive front end, and huge wheels, the ATC could be seen as a preview of the next-gen WRX and STI. The pair will be built on a bespoke platform but may not be much different in size from the Impreza. At the very least, expect many of this car's stylistic elements, as well as its powertrain, to appear on and in future Subarus.

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Suzuki Totes Swift Sport and Three Concepts to Tokyo (Guess Which One We Want)

Suzuki may be struggling to maintain much of a presence in the U.S., but the brand remains a successful purveyor of small vehicles elsewhere in the world. Indeed, we could see the cars it’s showing at the 2011 Tokyo auto show being received well in global markets—and there’s one in particular that we wouldn’t mind seeing here. A rundown of the quartet follows.

Regina

While Suzuki sees its Regina (above) as a next-generation global compact car, it’s hard not to see the car as a sort of micro-fied update of an old French car, the Citroën DS. The homage is strongest in the droopy rear quarter with its partial fender spats, although the front end seems to evoke another “icon”: the NSU Prinz 4. We’re not sure any male would want to be seen in a car like the Regina, especially if it was named Regina—although keeping the name might guarantee Saskatchewan sales success. But anyone can appreciate the fuel-economy and weight claims: 75 mpg on gasoline (according to the Japanese JC08 test cycle) and a feathery 1609 pounds.

Q Concept

It seems like each Japanese carmaker brings at least one “fishbowl” to every Tokyo auto show, and the Q Concept is Suzuki’s 2011 effort. Just 8.2 feet in length, the two-seat Q Concept is evocative of portable CD players from the 1990s and can be configured as a passenger pod or a delivery pod (we refuse to call it a car). It can also be parked pretty much anywhere (although preferably not in direct sunlight, lest anything left inside fry like an ant under a magnifying glass. Will the Japanese succeed someday in making pods like this the norm in urban settings? Hopefully not any time soon, but you can bet your last can of fish food that they’ll keep thinking about it.

Swift EV Hybrid

Re-entering the earth’s atmosphere after admiring the pie-in-the-sky concepts above brings us to the Swift EV Hybrid, which wraps Swift clothing around range-extending tech like that used in the Chevrolet Volt. Suzuki claims that compact cars like the Swift are driven between 12 and 19 miles per day in Japan, a task the Swift EV Hybrid can handle on battery power alone. Longer distances are made possible by a range-extending engine-driven generator. Watch for it at an auto show near you, possibly renamed the Swift Range Extender.

Swift Sport

Of the four debutants that Suzuki is rolling out in Tokyo, the one we want most (and the one we would be most likely to get) is the “performance flagship of the Swift series,” the Swift Sport. Suzuki didn’t provide much in the way of details but did send along this solitary photo. The yellow Swift Sport basically appears to be a production-ready version of the Swift Sport S that Suzuki showed at the Geneva auto show last March, complete with darkened headlamp surrounds, large wheels, an aggressive front fascia, sill extensions, and a smoked single-framed grille like that found on the Kizashi. The only thing missing from the Swift S is the wide-body kit. We expect this model offer more power than the 123 horses of the last Swift Sport, while the transmission choices will be a six-speed manual or continuously variable automatic. You know which of the gearboxes we would choose.

For its part, Suzuki is still not talking about any plans to bring any Swift models here, where Suzuki dealers—the handful of them that remain, that is—are starved for product. We’d love it if the Swift Sport made it to our shores, but admit that a micro-bomber like it isn’t likely to contribute much in to the brand’s sales numbers.

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