TOYOTA FT HS CONCEPT

The FT HS Concept car was first shown at the 2007 Detroit show, and was instantly labelled the spiritual successor to the fantastic Toyota Supra. The FT HS is a hybrid super car, using a 3.5 litre V6 engine mated to an electric motor to give 400 horsepower and great fuel economy.

With the positive response it received, it was initially scheduled to reach showrooms on 2009 but due to the recession impacting heavily on more expensive luxury and sports cars, it has apparently been put on hold for a temporary period. We could see an updated production version on display at the 2009 Tokyo Auto Show.

Styling from this car may also heavily influence the strongly rumoured ‘Toyobaru’ sports coupe that is a joint development between Toyota and Subaru that may replace the much loved Celica model, and give a little life to the currently rather dull Toyota production model range, with less adventurous models like the Toyota Auris.

TOYOTA FT EV CONCEPT

The FT EV concept, shown at the Detroit 2009 car show, is based closely on the European market Toyota iQ production car, but with a fully electric drivetrain that is rechargeable from the mains. According to Toyota, a production version of this car could be in the market as soon as 2010 but it won’t simply be an electric iQ, so expect some sheet metal changes and obviously the loss of all those over the top gold stickers.

Expect it also to be a cheaper version of the car according to the chief engineer Hiroki Nakajima: “We wanted to position the iQ as premium,” he said, “but not so the BEV.” The Electric car should use a version of the iQ Platform, but be slightly shorter and lighter, and is more likely to be purely a 2 seater in the mould of the Smart car rather than the extra seating that the iQ gives. Keep an eye out for a FT EV 2 concept in the future which should be closer to the eventual production car.

TOYOTA 1/X CONCEPT

Pronounced “1/Xth” and shown at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show, this concept was designed to showcase Toyota lightweight construction technology, with the car using carbon fibre reinforced plastic as the main material for its monocoque body making it incredibly light at around 420 kgs, less than half the weight of a conventional small car,such as the current Toyota Yaris.

Its engine, which is a 500cc Hybrid unit that can also be plugged in to recharge, with the petrol motor used purely for recharging the batteries on the move. The lightness of the car means that it gives better than twice the fuel economy of the equivalent Prius hybrid. The 1/X will never make production, but some of the clever technology used in its construction definitely will.

TOYOTA F3R CONCEPT

The F3R is a concept designed to attract a younger audience back to the Minivan segment which is traditionally bought by growing families and it does this by throwing away the traditional 3 row design and creating a much more flexible space that is much more stylish than the typical minivan.

Toyota Explains: “Younger people are hanging out in their cars. When they do that, the car becomes an entertainment area. The F3R expands on that concept. It’s a sophisticated extension of the home.” The concept features nightclub style lighting along with seats that can be moved into a variety of positions meaning that younger people can take all their friends out together. It’s a novel concept, but the extra cost of a minivan would likely be prohibitive for a younger person, meaning the idea will not make production, but it may have an infuence on current models in the range, like the Toyota Auris.

TOYOTA A-BAT CONCEPT

The A-BAT is a compact sized pick-up design, designed to be both stylish and practical. It was first shown at the 2008 Detroit show, and Toyota UK described it as follows “This concept is the next evolution of the compact truck,” said Hunter. “We were able to create a compact truck that’s utilitarian, has an original profile compared to other pickup trucks, has a ‘small, but tough’ character and is economical to operate. The A-BAT is a fun-to-drive, practical package that reflects Toyota’s environmental sustainability message.”

It certainly is a very different proposition to your average pick up truck, and in the metal is much smaller than the chunky looks would suggest. We love the aggressive and individual styling which is a world away from the usual boxy separate cab and load bed you see on most trucks. The physical size limits the overall practicality, but with a trend for downsizing coming in ,the A-BAT would fit in perfectly if in the unlikely event it makes it to the showroom floor. If not then it may just have an infuence over future designs onf 4×4 models like the current Toyota RAV4.

TOYOTA CS&S CONCEPT

The Toyota CS&S concept car, (standing for Compact Sports and Specialty) was originally shown at the 2003 Frankfurt Motor Show in Germany. It’s a 2 seat roadster powered by a 1.5 litre hybrid petrol electric set up taken directly from the Toyota Prius powers the rear wheels and a separate electric motor is connected to the front wheels.
Also unique to this concept is the seating arrangement with removable covers for the rear 2 occasional seats, where the car can be run as a 2 seater or if the rear canopies are removed from behind the front seats, a 2+2 seater. The concept also features a very much blue sky (ie not physically possible to actually put into production) ) that Toyota calls “Toyota Space Touch”, a multi-function information system that allows users to touch a series of floating holographic projections in order to control different functions of the car. The CS&S Concept is far removed both in styling terms and engineering complexity from current models like the Toyota Yaris and was never slated for production.

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SUZUKI KIZASHI 3 CONCEPT

The Suzuki Kizashi 3 concept car was initially revealed at the 2008 New York Auto Show, and as well as the car, the waiting motoring journalists also received a press release stating as we expected that Suzuki are indeed serious about leaving their traditional comfort zone of producing purely small cars.

They are looking to enter the competitive global mid size saloon sector with a production version of the Kizashi, to rival other cars in the segment such as the Ford Mondeo, Honda Accord and Toyota Avensis.

Suzuki stated that this 3rd and final concept is very close to the actual production car to be launched in 2010. Major elements of the first 2 concepts have been retained such as the huge front grille, and with looks like this, the Suzuki could indeed be a challenger in this already crowded market sector.

SUZUKI KIZASHI 2 CONCEPT

Suzuki followed up the original Kizashi car with this second concept first revealed at the Tokyo show in 2007, expanding on the original design but with some of the same styling cues. The car still retained the length of a traditional family sedan, but has the appearance of a stretched 5 door hatchback, essentially more of a fastback than a conventional station wagon, and this time the car was beefed up with some rugged off road kit.

We love those huge wheels with the Ben Hur style spokes, although are pretty sure they will not see production. The continuance of the Kizashi theme does suggest Suzuki are serious about a larger new car to sell on the global market, and this may suggest we will also see some form of station wagon version as well as a saloon.

SUZUKI KIZASHI CONCEPT

The Kizashi concept (Kizashi translated from Japanese means “Prelude”) was first revealed at the Frankfurt 2007 Motor Show by Suzuki, who told the press very little about the car, other than that the company who had mainly until now specialised in small cars, home market 660cc Kei cars and motorbikes were planning something bigger.

The concept car exterior is highly stylized with the usual show touches and had not details on an engine or the cars interior, and dominated by those huge front LED lights that run all the way round the sides of the oversized Audi-esque front grille, and a long sportback body. Despite a lack of details, it was very well received by the motoring press, and the first sign of a mid size production saloon car to be expected in the next few years.

SUZUKI A-STAR CONCEPT

The Suzuki A-Star concept car was first shown at the New Dehli Motor Show in January 2008, and is one of the first vehicles from a non-Indian manufacturer to get a launch at the show which highlights the growing importance of the Indian car market to international manufacturers.

The A-Star is very unlikely to make production itself, but its looks are expected to form the basis for the new Suzuki Alto small car, which should start production at Suzuki’s Indian production facility soon, and with a low cost is expected to be a popular seller in India and China.

SUZUKI X-HEAD CONCEPT

Looking like a Giant Tonka Toy brought to life, the X-Head concept car is a mixture of pickup truck and some sort of massive construction vehicle. With looks that could land it a part in a Transformers movie and tough enough to carry almost anything, its key functionality is supposedly its versatile nature.

According to Suzuki, who say “The X-HEAD is a cross utility vehicle offering a host of possibilities for people wanting to explore their world. Boasting a DNA borne of the legendary off-road capabilities of the Jimny and Grand Vitara and the load carrying capacity of the APV, X-HEAD epitomizes functional dependability and fun.” We say it looks great and we want one!

SUZUKI PX MINIVAN CONCEPT

The PX Minivan was first shown at the 2005 Japanese Tokyo Motor Show and is a new interpretation of the mini-van theme, and rather than adopting a traditional practical but boxy style that most minivans end up with, instead it uses some very nice retro touches to bring a slice of 1950′s retro styling with the looks of the classic aluminium Airstream trailers in what describes as “retro futuristic” styling touches.
To quote the Suzuki designer: “As one of the most innovative minivan concepts in recent history, the Suzuki P.X. illustrates a wide range of possibilities for Suzuki’s vision in the future and showcases some of the elements the company may consider incorporating into Suzuki vehicles in years to come.”
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