Tuesday October 13, 07:45 AM
AUTOSHOW-FACTBOX-Main show pieces at the Tokyo Motor Show
TOKYO, Oct 13 (Reuters) - The Tokyo Motor Show opening next week promises to be a subdued affair with just two small foreign carmakers attending, in a rare low turnout for what has traditionally been considered one of the five major international auto shows.
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Below are the main, world premiere show pieces planned by Japan's eight carmakers:
TOYOTA MOTOR CORP
-- FT-EV II: The second version of Toyota's electric car concept, with a more futuristic edge. By-wire steering allows a lot more leg room in this stumpy microcar, which also comes with a solar panel on its roof. An idea of what Toyota envisages for this 'urban commuter' beyond 2012, when it plans to launch its first mass-produced electric car globally.
-- FT-86 Concept: The first physical model of a planned rear-wheel-drive compact sports car that will borrow Subaru-maker Fuji Heavy Industries' signature flat-engine technology. An attempt to reignite interest in affordable sports cars, this Europe-designed concept car takes its name from the AE86 generation of the Corolla Levin sports car from 1986 known to Japanese fans simply as the 'Hachi-Roku', or 'eight-six'. Production model will have a 2-litre boxer engine and cost far less than 3 million yen ($33,440).
LEXUS
-- Toyota is keeping details of a two-seater Lexus sports car under wraps until an on-site press briefing on Oct. 21. The model is widely expected to be a close-to-production LF-A super sports car, a pure concept version of which was first shown in 2005.
HONDA MOTOR CO (Paris: JP3854600008 - news)
-- Skydeck: A futuristic, six-seater hybrid. A concept that pursues extreme lightweight technology with thin, floating passenger seats. Second-row seats can be tucked under the front seats to make room in the back. Other features include gull-wing front doors and a sliding rear door and carbon-weight wheels.
-- CR-Z Concept 2009: A close-to-ready model of Honda's planned 1.5-litre hybrid sports car due for launch next February.
-- EV-N: A four-seater electric car concept. To be featured in an all-electric zone at Honda's stand along with the EV-Cub scooter, the EV-Monpal wheelchair and the newly developed U3-X 'personal transporter' unicycle, among other concepts.
NISSAN MOTOR CO (Berlin: NISA.BE - news)
-- Land Glider: A compact, four-wheel city commuter, this concept car's starting point was a motorcycle. The electric motor-driven car has two seats in a tandem layout and a body that tilts when it corners, like a two-wheeler. 'While Land Glider is a concept car, it should not be regarded as a mere design study,' Nissan says. 'This leaning machine gives a clear direction of how a future small car from Nissan could look in congested cities.'
-- Roox: A & (Paris: FR0000075160 - news) apos;super-spacious' microcar to be supplied from Suzuki Motor (Frankfurt: 857310 - news) , due for launch in Japan in December.
-- New Fuga: Production version of Nissan's top-of-the-line sedan to be launched this autumn. Also on display will be a hybrid version due next year -- Nissan's first time using its in-house-developed hybrid system and lithium-ion battery.
-- Visitors to the Tokyo Motor Show will also get their first glimpse of what will be Nissan's first mass-produced electric car, the Leaf, unveiled only to the media in August.
SUZUKI MOTOR CORP
-- Swift Plug-in Hybrid: In-house developed system suited for short-distance commuting.
-- New Alto concept
MAZDA MOTOR CORP (Munich: 854131 - news)
-- Mazda's world premieres will be a gasoline engine, diesel engine and automatic transmission prototype, all under the 'Mazda Sky Concept'. The next-generation Sky-G gasoline engine achieves fuel economy that matches or exceeds that of today's diesel engine, while its new Sky-D diesel engine would raise fuel economy by 20 percent over its current diesel.
The Sky-Drive six-speed transmission improves fuel economy by 4-7 percent and achieves instant driving response that compares favourably against dual-clutch transmissions. The three technologies will be rolled out on all core models from 2011.
MITSUBISHI MOTORS CORP
-- Mitsubishi Concept PX-MiEV: Powered by a new plug-in hybrid system, this concept crossover gets fuel economy of at least 50 km/litre. Also featured: a 'cosy' interior with seat upholstery that deactivates allergens, gets rid of offensive odours and kills bacteria, as well as a negative-ion aroma humidifier and oxygen enricher for comfort and reduced fatigue.
-- i-MiEV CARGO: A stretched-out version of the electric i-MiEV microcar, already available to fleet customers in Japan. Perfect for self-employed corporate users, Mitsubishi (MBC.IL - news) says, with a cube-shaped luggage compartment at the rear.
FUJI HEAVY INDUSTRIES LTD
-- Subaru Hybrid Tourer Concept: A pure concept model of what a hybrid car built with Subaru's famous boxer engine and symmetrical all-wheel-drive powertrain could achieve.
DAIHATSU MOTOR CO
-- e:S: A tiny four-seater that weighs just 700 kg (1,540 lb). With improvements to the gasoline engine and a system that automatically shuts off the engine during idling, the concept car claims fuel economy of 30 km/litre.
-- basket: Open-top four-seater 'slow-life vehicle' with a spacious deck suited for gardening.
(Reporting by Chang-Ran Kim; Editing by Chris Gallagher)
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