Metal showcase predicts world trend

Tokyo means many things to many people. In less than seven years, it will be the mecca of sports enthusiasts as it will host the 2020 Summer Olympics and Paralympics.

 

Last week, Tokyo became the hub of the world’s motoring cognoscenti as they flocked to the city to get a sneak peek of the future. For the 43rd Tokyo Motor Show held Nov. 22 to Dec. 1 at the Tokyo Big Sight, the 76 vehicles that held their world premieres also offered 76 glimpses of what would be in store for tomorrow’s motorists.

 

A fiery red Mitsubishi’s Concept XR-PHEV (plug-in hybrid electric vehicle) was a crowd drawer. Combining a specialty coupe with an SUV, this compact SUV uses a front engine, front wheel layout PHEV system.

 

Brand direction

 

Subaru’s Viziv Evolution Concept demonstrates the brand’s direction both aesthetically and technologically. This plug-in hybrid combines the newly developed 1.6-liter horizontally opposed direct injection turbo engine with electric motors.

 

The Lexus LF-NX is the next-generation compact SUV outfitted with a newly developed 2.0-liter turbo engine. On the other hand, the Lexus’ RC is a sports coupe powered with a 3.5-liter gasoline or 2.5-liter hybrid powertrain. Its engineers guarantee “an engaging and exhilarating driving experience.”

 

Before the Nov. 20 Tokyo Big Sight preview, the press also had a sneak peek of the Lexus RC and the LF-NX Nov. 18 at the indoor sporting arena Ryogoku Kokugikan (a venue for Japan’s national sport sumo wrestling).

 

The Honda Vezel hybrid is designed as an SUV, coupe and minivan rolled into one. Powered by a sport hybrid i-DCD (Intelligent Dual Clutch Drive), it will have a 1.5-liter direct injection engine with a high-output motor for the hybrid model and a 1.5-liter direct injection engine for the gas model. This vehicle will go on sale in Japan on Dec. 20.

 

European marques were also on hand at the Tokyo Big Sight.

 

The Porsche Macan (a compact SUV), which will be introduced in the Philippines in 2014, was unveiled here.

 

Porsche’s Panamera Turbo S Executive also held its world premiere here. It is the most powerful model in the Panamera range, incorporating both high performance and luxury with a power output of  562.19 horsepower and a top speed of 310 kph.

 

Volvo’s head-turning Concept Coupe showed what a new generation of Volvos would look like. This plug-in hybrid combines an electric motor with a 2-liter four-cylinder engine with supercharger and turbo.

 

Tokyo also became the venue for BMW 4 Series Convertible’s world premiere. This four-seater with strikingly distinct design features and a three-piece retractable hardtop brings new enjoyment to the open-sky driving experience.

 

Also shown were the BMW i8, its first full-production electric sports car with the consumption and emission values of a compact car, and the i3, an electric vehicle to be launched in Japan in spring of 2014, with a  167.67-HP motor and a cruising range of 130 to 160 kilometers. Inquirer Motoring came out with reports about these two vehicles after an Aug. 21 exclusive media session at Singapore.

 

Volkswagen displayed its XL1 and Golf Variant Highline, among others.

 

The XL1 is a two-seater plug-in hybrid with fuel consumption of merely 0.9 liters per 100 km. The lightweight carbon fiber reinforced polymer body enables 50-km coverage in all-electric mode with speeds up to 160 kph.

 

Complete redesign

 

The Golf Variant Highline is the first complete redesign in four years set for launch soon. With a stylish interior, it is equipped with a 1.4-liter TSI engine (138.08 HP).

 

The Audi S3 Sedan made its Japan premiere, as well. This saloon is 135 millimeters longer and 15 mm wider than the A3 Sportback.

 

The Jaguar F-type and Land Rover were also spotted here in Tokyo. The F-type is an all-aluminum tow-seat convertible. The coupe won the 2013 World Car Design of the Year.

 

The hybrid Range Rover Sport—Land Rover’s first—has been added to the Sport range. It combines a  288-HP, 3-liter V6 diesel engine and electric motor.

 

The Peugeot 2008, a compact urban crossover, has the latest interior design and is touted to have versatile functionality and ample space.

 

The Mercedes-Benz Concept S-Class Coupe made its Japanese premiere here. The automaker’s reinterpretation of modern luxury had its world premiere at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show.

 

Also unveiled was the FT-86 Open Concept, based on the rear-wheel-drive 86 sports car.

 

With an electrically operated soft top, the vehicle adds that “open-top thrill” to the joy of driving and the sense of oneness with the vehicle offered by the hard-top 86. A new “flash red” body color, used specifically for the Tokyo Motor Show, gives a twist to the iconic sports-car red.

 

The fuel-cell vehicle Toyota FCV Concept, scheduled to be launched in 2015, and the next-generation JPN Taxi had their world premiere here as well. The JPN Taxi will have large electrically operated doors and a low, flat floor to enable passengers, particularly children and senior citizens, to board and exit in comfort. It uses a new, economical liquefied petroleum gas hybrid system that boasts of “excellent environmental performance optimized for taxi driving patterns.”

 

Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association Inc. chair Akio Toyoda described this event to be the top technology motor show in the world.

 

“Smart Mobility City, the organizer-themed project launched in 2011, returned this year with an enhanced program. Exhibitions, international symposiums and test rides showcased a clear vision of how society might evolve within its relationship to vehicles, and should give visitors a sense of what future mobility means for them,” Toyoda said.

 

Toyoda added that for the first time, car and motorcycle events were held throughout the Odaiba area one week prior to and during the Tokyo Motor Show. With a report by the 43rd Tokyo Motor Show 2013 news