The time has come. After three long years of absence due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Tokyo Motor Show returned to activity. Over the next few days, the Japanese capital will become the world epicenter of the automobile industry. The main novelty this year will be the change of focus. The fair abandons its commercial stage to focus on sustainable mobility. The electric car and the multiple electrified solutions will capture all the attention. The local industry will be very active in the face of pressure from the world. All brands will present important new features and advanced prototypes.
Japanese manufacturers such as Toyota, Mazda, Honda, and Nissan have been openly criticized by the rest of the industry, considering that their electric strategies do not correspond to the transformation that the industry is experiencing. Japan has always been a main player in the automotive field, but the advance of China as a producer and supplier, in addition to the change in the mobility paradigm, has caught companies accused of being excessively conservative on the wrong foot. The Japanese people are conservative people with a closed mentality regarding rapid and aggressive changes.
The Tokyo Mobility Show opens to the general public on October 28, although during the previous days, the brands will announce all their news during the press days. With a total of 475 confirmed exhibitors, a record number in the history of the exhibition, it is expected that more than one million visitors will attend the event until next November 5. Japan has to show that it is not left behind in this new electric era, although last year electric vehicle sales barely represented 1.5% of the total market.
Main novelties from Japanese brands, all of them will attend with great presentations
To prevent other countries from taking center stage, local firms will have to talk, Honda among them. Despite having recently launched a batch of products such as the CR-V, the ZR-V, and the Honda e: Ny1, its first electric SUV, those from Minato will attend the event with some interesting products that we have already talked about. However, all attention is directed to a new prototype that should advance the line and previous concepts of a possible successor to the Honda NSX. The iconic Japanese sports car has undergone numerous transformations throughout its history. The latest generation was introduced with a high-performance hybrid system. The next launch is expected to be 100% electric. The presence of an SUV, the battery-powered Honda Prologue, is also confirmed. As a range, the goal is to present 30 different electric models before the end of this decade.
Lexus will attend the appointment independently. Its stand, separate from that of Toyota, will focus its activity on future launches. As the company itself confirmed some time ago, Lexus aspires to become an exclusively electric brand by 2035. With an EV range limited to two units, the Tokyo fair will serve to advance the work of the future in the short and medium term. Everyone assumes that a new concept car will make an appearance. It will advance the lines of a production car that will hit the market in 2026 and that will be positioned as the most radical model in the range. Many consider it the natural successor to the Lexus LFA, but the Japanese have not yet confirmed what name it will be associated with.
Mazda is another of the Japanese firms that wants to make people talk in the living room. Those from Fuchu have already confirmed their attendance with a prototype that is destined to become one of the most talked about presentations. The first previews confirm that the Japanese are working on an electric Mazda MX-5. The classic Japanese roadster will join the electric current that dominates the industry. However, its approach is expected to be radically different from the model that has been sold internationally for decades. The future electric sports car will be capable of offering performance never seen before in the house. At the end of last year, they already introduced a design study that will now present a more advanced format before the final launch scheduled for 2026.
In recent weeks, Nissan has made it clear that it wants to attract attention in Tokyo. The company that once led the electric movement with the Nissan LEAF, has missed a great opportunity to become a world reference. The Japanese brand wants to show that it is returning to the electric field and for that, it has scheduled the launch of four different prototypes that show us the lines of work. Known as the Concept Hyper, each unit displays a different purpose and focus. From the familiar Nissan Hyper Tourer capable of detecting your mood, to the impressive and compact Nissan Hyper Urban. All of them will be at the fair.
Suzuki is one of the Japanese companies that has the most electrical work ahead of it. Currently, the company does not offer any 100% electric model in our country, but soon that slow strategy will take a radical turn with the presentation of its first battery-powered SUV. It will be called Suzuki eVX and although it was presented a few months ago at the Indian Motor Show, it will be general. Its first specifications point to a battery with a capacity of just 60 kWh that will allow it to approve ranges of up to 550 kilometers. Its final launch is expected to occur in 2025.
Last but not least, the great Japanese brand par excellence, Toyota. The company chaired by Koji Sato will arrive at the show with a long collection of new products. All of them have already been seen before the opening of the doors, but not all have revealed their secrets. The presence of the Toyota Land Cruiser Se Concept and the UEP electric pick-up that could be considered the electric version of the Toyota Hilux will stand out. More mysterious are the presentations of the FT-3e and FT-Se concepts. The first will be an SUV, while the second will attack the most passionate and sporty branch of electrification. As it is a mobility fair, Toyota will take advantage of the occasion to present its first electric bicycle, which will be called Land Hopper.
