Latest News
Volvo: Safety Beyond the Star Ratings
Sports cars, BEVs, and even a minivan! The 2023 Japan Mobility Show delivered some impressive concepts that you’ve got to see to believe!
An Impressive Debut Car Show
What used to be the Tokyo Motor Show was reborn as 2023 Japan Mobility Show. If the concepts and reveals are any indication, it’s off to a great start! Toyota, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Subaru, Lexus, and Nissan were all there and they brought a really good mix of vehicles to showcase. Electrified, bold, and eccentric, some of these concepts really leave you with a promising outlook on what these top automakers can do or envision doing in the future. Take a look at some of our top picks.
The Toyota FT-Se and FT-3e
Toyota brought two concepts to Japan for a big reveal. First, there’s FT-Se sports car, which is a show stealer based on looks alone. It’s wide and low with a nicely curved, sleek silhouette that is inspired by the 2021 GR Sports Concept. The aerodynamic front end has three large air passages and vertical LED running lights that go from the bottom all the way to the fascia. The blacked-out grille is a nice touch, too. That orange paint job caught a lot of eyes under the lights of the Japan Mobility Show, but just imagine how it would glimmer in the sunlight!
Inside the FT-Se is a yoke steering wheel, vertical touchscreen pads on either side of the wheel, and some pretty hideous blue carbon fiber seats. Despite the color choice, the cabin still gives off more of a luxury vibe. It’s not inundated with buttons and gadgets. No, simplicity dominates the FT-Se cabin, and that’s for the best.
Then there’s the FT-3e. It’s a BEV concept that has a significant focus on technology. Toyota didn’t reveal its full hand here, but company executives want to provide personalized services in a whole new way. For example, designers use digital displays on the outside of the vehicle to let drivers know how charged the battery is. I’m not that impressed by the design or silver coloring, but the lines on the FT-3e aren’t as excessively aggressive as Tesla’s Cybertruck. Both the FT-Se and FT-3e BEV use the same underpinnings. As a result, the BEV concept has the same low center of gravity benefits as the FT-Se.
The Lexus LF-ZC and LF-ZL
Lexus unveiled two Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs). The first was the LF-ZC, which stands for Lexus Future Zero-emission Catalyst. Lexus is planning on a 2026 release for the LF-ZC. Unfortunately, the look is rather unimpressive. Once you’ve seen one of these futuristic vehicles, it seems you’ve seen them all. Jagged edges, a low profile, and a gray, metallic color scheme. Lexus could definitely add more creativity to the design and color scheme, but the innovative features on the Future models are impressive.
The Lexus Future models have a sustainable interior, made of bamboo. Most of all, though, the interior is loaded with digital technology. The vehicle positions front seat passengers lower and in a forward position. In front of the driver is a digital cockpit and a pad that controls features like shifting, driving modes, climate control, and music. Lexus also implemented what is essentially a head-up display, projecting information on the windshield. Digital mirrors are also installed on each side of the vehicle.
Then there is the LF-ZL, which stands for Lexus Future Zero-emission Luxury. As you can probably surmise by the naming, the LF-ZL will be the flagship concept model. Lexus says it’s the LF-ZL, specifically, will offer an unparalleled level of personalized customer interaction. How will it do that? Connectivity and the latest technology will be a big part of it.
The LF-ZL is being set up to provide drivers with distinct experiences behind the wheel, taking hints from the driver’s actions and making ongoing suggestions to improve the experience. Suggested route and mode recommendations, for example, are part of the navigation system. Those suggestions are determined by the driver’s preferences, daily activity patterns, and mood. The suggestions come in the form of AI technology and a voice recognition system.
The Honda Prelude, Honda Sustaina-C, and CI-MEV
Honda showed off the Prelude concept, a specialty sports car with a revived name. Although the specs and interior are mysteries, the Prelude was aptly named because Honda says it will be the prelude to its electrified future. It looks like a sports car with a white finish and tinted windows. The performance may still be under wraps, but designers nailed the look! It doesn’t look like some kind of vehicle out of Blade Runner. It looks like a vehicle you’d want to find yourself in!
Two other concepts, both previously revealed, were part of Honda’s showcase: the Sustaina-C concept and the CI-MEV concept. The Sustaina-C is little hatchback that would be OK in a better color scheme. It’s made of acrylic resins, metals, and fabrics. Meanwhile, the CI-MEV is a microcar that can run on three wheels. It’s a two-seater EV equipped with level 4 autonomous driving capability. It’s being developed to demonstrate Honda’s Cooperative Intelligence technology. The goal is for a passenger to summon the vehicle, get into it, vocally give a destination, and then sit back while the CI-MEV does the driving.
The Nissan Hyper Force
After debuting four other concepts (the Hyper Punk, Hyper Tourer, Hyper Adventure, Hyper Urban) recently, the Hyper concepts culminated with their futuristic take on the GT-R dubbed the Hyper Force. All of the cars are EVs, but the Hyper Force has a high-output all-electric powertrain that outputs up to 1,000 kW. Using an all-wheel control system called e-4ORCE (see what they did there?), the Hyper Force has two driving modes: GT (for grand touring) and R (for racing).
A mixture of sleek with sharp edges at the same time, the Hyper Force has a futuristic look you see from a lot of these EV concepts, but very few mix the two styles, as well as Nissan did. The low profile was by design. The NISMO racing team had input on the architecture of the vehicle, and they had one goal: to generate a powerful downforce. Inside, the infotainment controls and driver settings are illuminated by blue and red lights on all sides. It’s not entirely overbearing, either. The lights deliver an atmosphere that’s more akin to a fun arcade than an overstimulated LED-filled nightclub.
The Mazda ICONIC SP
Not to be left out, Mazda brought the Iconic SP to Japan. You can see that it has a low center of gravity, like several of these other concepts. Instead of boring and overused silver or gray coloring, Mazda gave the ICONIC SP some personality with a vibrant Viola Red coating. The Iconic is 164 inches long, 72 inches wide, and 45 inches tall, and it has a wheelbase of nearly 102 inches. Weighing close to 3,200 lbs, the unique hybrid system is powered by a two-rotor rotary EV system that helps replenish the batteries of the electric motors, putting out up to 365 horsepower. Batteries are charged by recyclable energy sources. The rotary engine burns hydrogen and generates electricity with carbon-neutral fuel.
The Mitsubishi D:X Concept
Along with the Mitsubishi Triton pickup truck that will be available in Japan, Mitsubishi introduced the world to the D:X concept. Designers of this electric minivan drew on inspiration from the Mitsubishi Delica. The short-nose design is balanced by what looks to be some beefed-up wheels and a thick body. The robust D-pillar gives the van an impressive physical presence. The front glass windshield extends on each side of the D:X. Inside is tan-colored genuine leather on both the instrument panel and the seats. Alumite gray accents are used for metal parts. Sound system speakers are positioned in the headrests to provide three-dimensional sound. This is a one fun concept that mixes the past, the future, and the present.
The Subaru Sport Mobility
Subaru teased the Sport Mobility concept earlier this month, and the full display didn’t disappoint. The muscular design stands apart from some of the other concepts mentioned earlier. There aren’t details about what this concept could actually do out on (or off) the road, but it looks cool! Between the polished silver color, the blue accents on the grille and wheels, and the red taillights and Subaru badging, the Sport Mobility has attitude. You’ve got to assume there’s some power behind it, based on the frame and the fact that Subaru said it’s based on a driver controlling all four wheels at will. You don’t see a lot of curves in the framework, which is by design. Subaru wanted a clean, three-dimensional shape. That decision worked out very well.
Daihatsu and Suzuki, too
Even though Daihatsu and Suzuki don’t have any models for the North American market, they, too, had concepts at the first-ever Japan Mobility Show. Suzuki brought along the eVX. It’s an all-electric SUV that’s scheduled to be released in some parts of the world by 2025. The eVX was first seen in January 2023, but we got a glimpse of the interior for the first time in Japan. Dual-tone black and white (and some gray) make up most of the interior, but a series of orange-colored lights that highlight the interior panels and foot areas bring the interior to another level. So does the very fun, futuristic dashboard that looks more like a pop-up LED screen than a control panel. Vertically-stacked air vents are a nice finishing touch, too.
For those who aren’t familiar with Daihatsu, it’s a Japanese auto manufacturer that started in 1951, and it’s one of the few Japanese automakers still producing models with an internal combustion engine. For the Mobility Show, Daihatsu displayed the UNIFORM Truck and UNIFORM Cargo, mini commercial vehicles that have enough external power to be used as a mobile shop. The OSANPO is a fun little convertible that is almost 20 inches shorter than a Mini Cooper. It runs on a 1.3-liter engine that’s capable of using carbon-neutral fuel.
Then there’s the first-generation COPEN, an electrified, compact sports convertible. It looks suave and sophisticated. Then there’s the me:MO, a mini BEV that has a 78-inch wheelbase. I don’t usually like to use the word, “cute,” to describe cars, but this mini cube car really is cute. With the small-grid LED headlights, the expansive windows, and the little wheels, the me:MO looks like something you’d see in a Disney movie. Maybe if there’s ever a Cars 4?
Overall, the first-ever Japan Mobility Show delivered lots of unique and interesting ideas. There were some typical concepts, but automakers really brought the fun to this show. Considering the stacked roster of debut vehicles, organizers have their work cut out for them when planning for the sequel.
