Surprised and overwhelmed by the amount of new concept cars which debuted at the Japan Mobility Show? So were we. It's possibly the biggest and most significant motor show which has happened in years.
So much was revealed in fact, we wouldn't blame you for not keeping track. To cut to the chase then, the CarsGuide team has chosen our top five favourite vehicles from the show so you don't have to read around.
The EPU is a hint at the future of the brand’s best-selling ute range.
Possibly the single most important vehicle displayed at the show, the EPU is a hint at the future of the brand's best-selling ute range. Fully electric, futuristically styled, and a pillar of Toyota's promised range of future vehicles, the EPU is sub-HiLux in size and based on a monocoque chassis, so it's not quite the EV HiLux you might have been expecting.
Even still, expected to enter production by 2026, the over-five-meter long electric truck is larger than non-ladder-frame rivals like the Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz. It is expected to share many components with the also-revealed LandCruiser Se, run alongside the combustion HiLux for some time, and could even debut solid-state battery tech. Watch this space.
Honda Prelude
Honda’s brand renaissance continues with a revival of the long-lost Prelude nameplate.
Honda's brand renaissance continues with a revival of the long-lost Prelude nameplate which reached the end of its run in 2001 after five generations.
A fully fledged two-door, as opposed to the four-door left-hand drive Integra revival from last year, the Prelude is described as an EV which the brand is "working diligently on development".
It moves Honda styling in a new direction, away from the blacked-out lattice grille, and toward a more aerodynamic, almost Toyota Crown-like face, complete with an integrated spoiler and contemporary light-bar rear end.
Further details were not given, but this concept looks quite ‘real' compared to some of the others at the show, so expect it soon. One thing's for sure; we're looking forward to a proper two-door sports coupe from Honda again.
Mitsubishi Delica D:X
One of the more strange concepts shown at Tokyo, the Delica D:X is perhaps one of the most interesting and innovative.
One of the more strange concepts shown at Tokyo, the Delica D:X is perhaps one of the most interesting and innovative, and Mitsubishi has gone on the record to say a next-gen production version of the Delica would need to rely on export markets like Australia to justify its existence.
Not only does it stand a good chance for Australia then, but it is truly different from everything else offered here, being a plug-in hybridoff-road focused people mover, complete with some innovative features, like a see-through dash. While it appears a little distant from production, and is only a six-seater in show form, we're keen to see if this one will be able to shake the Kia Carnival's stranglehold on the Australian people mover market.
Daihatsu Vision Copen/Osanpo
The long-running micro sports car has been offered for some 20 years in its home market of Japan across two generations, and was even sold briefly in Australia (between 2003 and 2006).
Never heard of the Daihatsu Copen? Fair enough. The long-running micro sports car has been offered for some 20 years in its home market of Japan across two generations, and was even sold briefly in Australia (between 2003 and 2006).
The current second-generation version launched in 2014 and is due for replacement, which is where these two concepts come in. The Vision Copen sticks very faithfully to the mini drop-top's original design, while growing significantly in size (from 2230mm to 3835mm long), nearly doubling the engine size to 1300cc, and making the switch from front-wheel drive to rear-wheel drive.
Meanwhile, the Osanpo is an even quirkier spin on the Copen.
Meanwhile, the Osanpo is an even quirkier spin on the Copen, going battery electric and adopting a more futuristic, industrial styling language. Slightly smaller than its combustion concept counterpart, the Osanpo is described as "A luxurious vehicle to slowly enjoy the nature around you in a pleasant breeze, as if taking a walk."
"Slow" is a weird way to describe a battery electric drop-top coupe, but you do you Daihatsu!
Subaru Sport Mobility concept
If it does make it to production, it could be something quite unique.
Look, this one is clearly pretty far from production, if it makes it there at all, but it's great to see Subaru not leaving its sporty DNA behind it in the electric era.
If it does make it to production, it could be something quite unique, a high-riding all-wheel drive electric two-door coupe, so we hope Subaru can make something of it. What isn't yet clear is where it will get a platform from, or if it will be based on some version of the electric e-TNGA platform it shares with Toyota for the Solterra/bZ4X tie-up.
It's also interesting to see it be completely different from the more track-focused concept Toyota displayed, the FT-Se, suggesting the brands could be going in different directions for their future sporty offerings, unlike the current twinned BRZ/86.
Notable mentions
Two other cars deserve a special mention although they seem pretty far from production reality.
Mazda Iconic SP concept
A rotary-engined sports coupe with pop-up headlights? In today’s emissions and safety environment?
A rotary-engined sports coupe with pop-up headlights? In today's emissions and safety environment? We'll believe it when we see it Mazda.
Actually, it's a rotary electric in the same vein as the MX-30 R-EV but with 272kW and a 50/50 weight balance, but it remains to be seen if Mazda will really build it after teasing a return of a non-MX-5 coupe for so long.
Nissan Hyper Force
Nissan’s Hyper Force concept wears GT-R styling and proportions, but promises a wild 1000kW battery electric drivetrain.
Nissan's Hyper Force concept wears GT-R styling and proportions, but promises a wild 1000kW battery electric drivetrain, and solid state battery tech which is still yet to be proven in production.
Again, another case of "we'll believe it when we see it" at least it previews the future of the GT-R, the outgoing R35 version of which ended its run in Australia back in 2021.
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