The five stars of the Tokyo motor show

Monday, 11 November 2019

The Tokyo motor show is always good for weird and wonderful, but this year there were also a few cars that are very relevant to our motoring near future here in New Zealand.

Plus there were still loads of brilliant Kei cars - here are the five standouts from the show.

Suzuki Waku SPO

Suzuki is undoubtedly the master of small retro-inspired cars in Japan (although Honda is close) and one of its two new concepts for the Tokyo show was absolute proof of that (the other was an autonomous pod with literally no personality…).

* Five Japanese Kei cars we need here

* Global reveal: the MX-30 is Mazda's sporty EV-SUV**

The diminutive Waku concept is a plug-in hybrid with a configurable body that can switch from a small wagon to a coupe - the rear section can expand into wagon form to offer rear seats and more cargo space, or fold down into coupe form when the extra space isn't needed and you are feeling in a sportier mood. It is also delightfully retro-cute.

Here are our five favourites from this year's Tokyo Motor Show. And, yes, there is a Kei car in there.

Nissan Ariya

While it was officially a concept car, the Ariya is pretty much production ready and is likely to be the 'X-Trail-sized electric SUV' that Nissan has confirmed it will be releasing in 2021.

Based on the same platform as the next-generation Leaf, Nissan claimed that the concept Ariya was 'almost as fast' as the Nissan GT-R and packed a new high-output twin-motor electric all-wheel drive system that will pump out 227kW of power and no less than 680Nm of torque.

Of course a production version would be considerably toned-down, with a single engine model also likely to open the range.

Suzuki's brilliant Waku SPO in 'wagon' form. Actually, technically it's more of a shooting brake.

Mitsubishi Mi-Tech

With a new Jeep Wrangler and the Gladiator landing recently, and the likes of the reborn Ford Bronco on the horizon and the constantly teased possibility of VW actually producing its electric ID Buggy concept, doorless off-roading is back in style.

But Mitsubishi went in a more environmentally friendly - and massively weirder - direction with the wild Mi-Tech concept.

Lose the ridiculously massive wheels and Nissan's Ariya doesn't look too far from production.

The concept packs a four-motor electric all-wheel-drive system, but for heading further into the wild than an extension cord can reach, it also packs a gas-turbine engine that can run on diesel, kerosene, or alcohol, and is used to recharge the batteries.

Mazda MX-30

Who need doors when you have wheel arches like this? Mitsubishi's Mi-Tech concept is at the less practical end of the concept spectrum.

Suzuki has taken the refreshed Hustler Kei car in a more Jimny-like direction. More Jimny is never a bad thing.

Mazda dragged us back to reality with the reveal of its first-ever production EV in the form of the MX-30, a small sporty SUV crossover that shares its underpinnings with the new CX-30.

Using environmentally friendly materials in the interior (renewable cork and recycled plastic bottles to name two) and a smaller battery pack than the competition, based on Mazda's 'well to wheel' calculations it says shows that a larger battery has a higher lifetime CO2 count than a small diesel vehicle, the MX-30 is an exercise in whole of life thinking that Mazda is basing its approach to electric vehicles, range extenders and other alternate fuel vehicles on.

Suzuki Hustler

Speaking of cool, the Suzuki Hustler concept was amazingly cool. Sorry, but we love Kei cars here. Just accept it.

The Hustler has been on sale in Japan since 2014 - and it is remarkably popular, particularly in rural areas - but this year's Tokyo show saw the reveal of a refreshed model for 2020 that picks up - wait for it - design cues from the Jimny!

The concept Hustler at the show was the 4WD version (2WD is also available) and was brilliantly butched-up with chunky mud tyres and a roof rack, and was powered by a hybrid version Suzuki's brilliantly characterful three-cylinder 650cc turbo engine.