Tokyo Motor Show 2017: news round-up, reveals and pictures
The 2017 Tokyo Motor Show has seen all kinds of cars and concepts. Get the latest news here
The 2017 Tokyo Motor Show attracted major car manufacturers from across the globe to the Japanese capital, with each marque contributing to the vast array of new vehicles on the stands. While there were a handful of new production cars to behold, imaginative concepts were the talk of the show as manufacturers looked ahead to the future of the car industry.
A dedicated Auto Express team worked tirelessly to bring you all the latest news from Tokyo as it happened. With an explosion of news on the first press day and yet more scoops on the second media day, you'll find all the most important stories in our round-up below.
The doors will soon open to the general public from 27 October, closing again on 5 November.
As expected, it was the Japanese brands out in force in Tokyo, with representatives from the European market present as well. BMW, Mercedes, and Audi all chipped in, but having barely recovered from September’s Frankfurt Motor Show, it was the native brands putting on the biggest displays.
Suzuki grabbed headlines having announced a range of compact concept cars to tie in with the brand’s 100th anniversary in 2020. Subaru also sparked interest with its ViZIV Performance concept, and Mazda revealed the next stage of the RX-Vision concept that debuted at the Tokyo Motor Show in 2015.
With lots to catch up on from the Tokyo Motor Show, the up-to-date list below should be your first port of call for the news on the many cars and concepts that debuted in Japan…
There’s lots to take in from the 2017 Tokyo Motor Show - read the news on all the key cars below...
Key cars at Tokyo 2017
• Toyota GR HV Sports Concept - GT86-based concept car with hybrid tech and clever manual/automatic gearbox.• Honda Sports EV Concept - Fully-electric sports car concept.• Mitsubishi e-Evolution - Concept car previewing a new electric SUV.• Subaru VIZIV Performance - Subaru is showing a faster version of its VIZIV concept car.
News from Tokyo
• New Honda S2000 could get green light - Honda says the S2000 could return as a sub-NSX sports car if demand is strong enough.• More Honda EV concepts on the way - Honda's design boss says there are more electric concepts on the way, but it's not clear when they'll make production• Toyota boss says more diesels unlikely - Didier Leroy tells Auto Express it's unlikely that Toyota will ever make another diesel-engined car• Nissan IMx concept to influence next Qashqai - Nissan design boss hints the IMx could be a good indication of what to expect from the next generation Qashqai
Tokyo Motor Show 2017: manufacturers A to Z
Daihatsu
Daihatsu no longer sells cars in the UK, but it has brought a few models to Tokyo. Firstly there is the DN Pro Cargo. This is a commercial EV which uses a modular design, and can be easily adapted to meet a range of requirements – similar to the old Daihatsu Midget.
After this there is the DN Compagno, which is a compact four-door coupe. Underneath the bonnet there is a 1.0-litre turbo engine, but there is also an option of a larger, 1.2-litre hybrid powertrain.
The final vehicle worth mentioning is the DN Trec compact SUV which, boasts a high-quality compact interior with active, fun and tough exterior styling. It will come with the same 1.0-litre turbo and 1.2-litre hybrid powertrains fitted to the DN Compagno.
Honda
• Honda Sports EV Concept• Honda CR-V hybrid
Honda unveiled its Sports EV Concept at Tokyo. It's a sports car featuring a fully electric powertrain coupled with Honda's AI technology, and was placed alongside the Urban EV Concept which was unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September. Honda also showed its upgraded current range alongside the electric concepts, with the fifth-generation CR-V now featuring two motor hybrid technology. The NeuV concept first unveiled at the CES Expo in January was also shown to the Japanese public.
Lexus
Lexus has exhibited its LS+ Concept saloon, which showcases the brand's AI-derived autonomous technology. One key feature is the ability to go from a motorway slip road to exit with no input from the drivers, something which is set to be included on the production LS from 2018. Additional new feature for 2018 include automated merging, lane changing and lane keeping on motorways.
Lexus has also displayed its brand new LS luxury saloon in Tokyo ahead of its scheduled 2018 production. The fifth-generation LS was first unveiled earlier this year at the Detroit Motor Show in January. At Geneva in March, a hybrid edition called the LS500h was unveiled, featuring a twin-turbo V6 petrol engine alongside two electric motors.
Mazda
• Mazda KAI concept• Mazda Vision Coupe concept• Mazda MX-5• Mazda CX-8
Mazda's new design language is clearly on show at Tokyo this year, with the bold KAI concept previewing the look of the next-generation Mazda 3. The KAI concept is joined by the eye-catching four-door Vision Coupe concept, once again hinting at the future direction of Mazda's design.
As well as the two concepts, an updated version of the Mazda MX-5 is also in attendance. Mazda says fresh updates make the sports car more agile and more balanced than the previous itertion of the Mk4, with minor styling tweaks also evident.
Mazda also has the CX-8 on display in Tokyo. Announced in July, it has been revealed this week ahead of going on sale next year. Initially at least, the CX-8 will only be available in Japan, featuring an innovative seven-seat setup and three different configurations for the second row of seats.
Mitsubishi
• Mitsubishi e-Evolution• Mitsubishi Electric Emirai 4
Mitsubishi has unviled an all-electric SUV concept called the e-Evolution. Now part of the Renault-Nissan Alliance, Mitsubishi has already forged a path in the electric SUV market with the Outlander PHEV. However, the Japanese manufacturer looks set to revive the legendary Evolution badge that was famously sported by Mitsubishi’s rally cars and subsequent road cars.
Mitsubishi Electric, a separate company from Mitsubishi Motors, has also revealed an autonomous EV concept of its own. Called the Emirai 4, the concept features a human-machine interface that aids the driver in tricky conditions. The Emirai 4 has an augmented reality heads-up display and a wide-angle interior camera that analyses the driver's posture to alert them of potentially dangerous driving.
Nissan
• Nissan Leaf Nismo• Nissan IMx SUV concept
The Nismo Leaf - a hot version of the second-generation standard Leaf EV - has been revealed in Tokyo. Power and performance figures have yet to be revealed, but a Nissan insider tells us that performance will be similar to the Ford Focus RS and that it should feature the same 235-mile range as the base Leaf model.
Also on display at this year's show is the IMx SUV concept. It uses the same platform as the new Leaf, and is said to offer a glimpse into the future of what Nissan refers to as 'Intelligent Mobility'. It previews an electric SUV with a range of 373 miles, generating 429bhp and 700Nm of toqrue.
Subaru
• Subaru ViZIV Performance • Subaru S208 WRX STi
Subaru has revealed its new VIZIV Performance concept at Tokyo. The VIZIV Performance has a sporty saloon shape reminiscent of the famed Impreza WRX STi and some features similar to Subaru’s virtual Vision GT featured in the Gran Turismo video game series.
Subaru has also pulled the covers off a special edition S208 model of the WRX STi. An evolution of the S207 model, only 450 units will be built, and customers will be selected in Japan via a lottery. A special edition BRZ also features on the stands, of which 150 units will be sold to the Japanese market.
Suzuki
Suzuki has brought a full range of concept cars to the 45th Tokyo Motor Show, however it's the e-Survivor that is Suzuki’s main attraction at this year’s exhibition. The compact SUV boasts an all-electric drivetrain with permanent four-wheel-drive and a retractable roof similar to the X-90 mini-SUV of the 1990’s. The XBEE (cross-bee) compact crossover wagon is another notable Suzuki feature, with three editions catering to either a younger market or to a more experienced clientele, depending on the model.
Toyota
• Toyota GR HV Sports Concept• Toyota Tj Cruiser • Toyota Century• Toyota Concept i-RIDE• Toyota Fine-Comfort• Toyota JPN Taxi
Toyota has previewed a clutch of models at Tokyo, with the GR HV Sports concept performing as the headlining act. The sports car will feature a hybrid motor and a targa roof not seen on Toyota sports cars since the legendary Supra. Toyota says it integrates "the thrill of a sports car with the environmental friendliness of a sports car", and it features a hybrid system similar to that of the brand's Le Mans car.
Also previewed is the TJ Cruiser van/SUV crossover that features a 2-litre petrol-electric hybrid. It utilises the square-shaped body of a commercial vehicle with the chunky tyres and front grille from an SUV. Three of the other vehicles shown are the Crown Concept saloon -which was developed at the Nurburgring - the Toyota Century limousine - which replaces the last ever Japanese-produced V12 engine with a twin-turbo V8 - and finally, the Fine-Comfort, which is a fuel cell concept hatchback boasting a wheelbase longer than that of an S-Class.
Alas, it wouldn't be the Tokyo Motor Show without a new pod based concept car, and Toyota has come up with the goods for 2017. The Concept i-RIDE is a small, fully electric 'mobility vehicle' making use of artificial intelligence to learn the habits of its driver. It's slightly larger than a Renault Twizy, seats two, and comes with a range of between 62 and 93 miles on a single charge.
Yamaha
Yamaha is exhibiting 19 products the Tokyo Motor Show, but only one of them sits on four wheels – and even that is designed for carrying motorbikes. Named the Cross Hub, the concept is a combination of an SUV and a pick-up truck, and follows on from 2013 Motiv and the 2015 Sports Ride.
Little information has been made available about the Cross Hub, although Yamaha says it's aimed at bike enthusiasts who lead an active, urban lifestyle. The 4.5m-long concept features a wood-trimmed loadbay, which can carry up to to motorcycles.
