Toyota to Debut Three New Concept Cars at Tokyo Motor Show

The new model inherits the nameplate's signature triangular silhouette which, combined with a low center of gravity, results in an impressively angular yet emotional design. Flowing curves blend with aggressive cut edges that spark interest from any angle. The top of the roof has been lowered by 20 mm and moved forwards, while the engine hood has also been lowered to create a stylish outline. All improvements have been achieved with no sacrifice to interior space.

A comprehensive program of size and weight reductions for major hybrid components―transaxle, motor, battery, and engine―was achieved.

As a result, the Prius has achieved over 40 percent thermal efficiency and a huge boost in fuel economy.

The new Prius has received an entirely new Toyota platform. This has resulted in improved handling, safety and heightened driving enjoyment. The model features a chassis that is 60 percent more rigid, while the powertrain unit's lower placement and low center of gravity has increased the vehicle's stability and comfort.

In Japan, the Prius will feature the Toyota Safety Sense P active safety package, which combines four advanced safety functions. Toyota Safety Sense P includes a Pre-collision System which uses the combined monitoring power of millimeter-wave radar and monocular camera to detect not only vehicles but also pedestrians.

The new Prius will go on sale in Japan at the end of 2015, and is subsequently scheduled for successive launches around the world.

The concept is visually distinctive, thanks to its expressive diamond-inspired styling, packed full of eye-catching details that have been sculpted and chamfered to represent the facetted surfaces of a precision-cut gemstone. The vehicle builds on two key elements of Toyota's design language―Keen Look and Under Priority―to create a bold, emphatic front profile that emphasizes the lower grille as well as increasing aerodynamic performance, cooling, and pedestrian safety.

Like the new Prius, Toyota C-HR Concept makes use of TNGA, resulting in a highly rigid body. As a result of efforts to improve the already outstanding handling stability and ride comfort, the vehicle responds to driver handling with a directness that gives the driving experience an intuitive feel.

Toyota aims to give the concept an engine with thermal efficiency of over 40 percent, as well as further improving fuel efficiency by making the hybrid system―including the motor and battery―smaller and more lightweight.

The Toyota concept made its first appearance at the 2014 Paris Motor Show as a design study, following which an updated five-door model went on display at the 2015 IAA Frankfurt Motor Show. Toyota hopes to show a production-ready model at the Geneva International Motor Show in March 2016.

• The full-fledged FR layout gives the engine a front midship location. Optimal weight distribution and independent suspension make for outstanding cornering performance.
• A six-speed manual transmission offers smooth acceleration, adding to the car's fun, responsive drive.
• The Toyota S-FR was conceptualized as the kind of vehicle that attracts its own die-hard fan base, whose members love driving and customizing it.

• The fuel cell stack is mounted between the front tires, and the hydrogen tank behind the rear seat. Together with the adoption of independent in-wheel motors in all four wheels, this allows for a spacious cabin despite the vehicle's compact vehicle body. By concentrating functional parts at the front and the rear of the vehicle, this next-generation fuel cell vehicle package creates an optimal weight balance and a wide field of vision.
• The exterior adopts a distinctive, sleek shape, while the frame structure of the interior ensures rigidity despite the light weight of the car. Altogether, the design conveys the vehicle's advanced technology and outstanding environmental performance.

While most vehicles conceal their inner workings beneath smooth sheet metal, this concept encourages us to appreciate the complex beauty of the mechanical aspects of cars. More broadly, it reminds us of the appeal of the physical and tactile in a digital age.