Foreword

Japanese carmakers have made it to the top of the sales table in every car market across the world. So when it comes to the Tokyo Motor Show, their home, the Japanese go all out with some crazy concept and new car reveals as well as launches. So here is a preview into what you can expect from the Tokyo Motor Show 2017.

Honda at Tokyo 2017

Honda has sparked its EV journey and the Sports EV and the Urban EV will be its forerunners in the electric game. The Sports EV is a two-door low-slung coupe tilting towards performance and style. The Urban EV concept, with its retro-futuristic style has already won many hearts. Being a city car, it will certainly be peppy and should get at least 200kms of range in a single charge.

Toyota at Tokyo 2017

Toyota is one of the biggest car makers in the world and is expected to showcase some interesting concepts. The Fine-Comfort Ride concept is a hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle that has a cruising range up to 1000kms. With flexible seating and autonomous driving, this can be the family van of the future. A cross between a van and an SUV, the TJ Cruiser is your van for tomorrow. With three rows of seating that fold flat, the cargo bay becomes humungous as well.

Toyota will also showcase the 15th generation of the Crown sedan at Tokyo. One of the Japanese brand’s longest running models, the Crown is based on a platform very similar to the Camry and is a luxury sedan which sits under the Lexus ES sedan. Finally, you have the car that might turn out to be the next generation of the Toyota Hachi Roku (86 in Japanese). The Toyota GR HV Sports concept is a hybrid coupe that looks very similar to the current 86.

Under the Lexus umbrella, you will have the Lexus RX with three seating rows as well. Currently, the RX is a five-seater and is also being sold in India. You will also get to see a few budget concepts under the Daihatsu brand, including new Kei cars for the local market and cars that might make it to the emerging markets like India.

Nissan at Tokyo 2017

Nissan is quite ahead of its Japanese counterparts when it comes to electric vehicles. No doubt you will have its bestseller, the Leaf, in different forms. First is the Leaf Nismo, a sportier performance focussed version of the Leaf EV. Another iteration of the Leaf will be an SUV based on the same platform and electrically driven as well.

Nissan’s Z-Series of cars have always been legends and Nissan might showcase the new Z concept which will succeed the 370Z. We hope it’s a pure petrol rear-wheel drive coupe, just like the current Z.

Mitsubishi at Tokyo 2017

Mitsubishi has been on the fringes of the global car market for quite some time. In spite of that, the carmaker which has given us the legendary EVO, is coming to Tokyo with three concepts. Love it or hate it, the EVO is being reincarnated as the E-volution concept and it will be an SUV.

You will also have the electric Emirai 4 autonomous concept and we are not sure if it is an SUV or a hatchback. But what we are sure is that it will be the extension of Mitsubishi’s all-round knowledge in electric appliances and technologies.

Suzuki, Subaru, Mazda at Tokyo 2017

Mazda is bringing the successor to the RX-8. The Vision concept which was showcased last year has moved closer to reality and more towards the production line. It will be powered by a new rotary engine.

Subaru, known for the Impreza and its WRC success, will reveal the Viziv Performance concept, the car touted to be the next generation Impreza. Thankfully, it is still a sedan unlike what Mitsubishi did with the Evo.

Suzuki e-Survivor Concept will also make its debut and it does remind us of the Jimny. What we have as the Maruti Suzuki Gypsy here in India, is called the Jimny globally and the new Jimny surely continues with its petite but able dimensions.