At the Japan Mobility Show 2023 – previously called the Tokyo Motor Show – carmakers focused on electrification, and the show went beyond the traditional boundaries of automobiles. If the erstwhile Tokyo Motor Show was all about ‘motor’, the Japan Mobility Show is about ‘mobility’. We take a look at the production vehicles, concepts and prototypes on the show.
Lexus: The luxury arm of Toyota displayed the LF-ZC battery electric vehicle (BEV) concept, set for release in 2026. The carmaker said it’s powered by next-generation prismatic high-performance batteries, and will have approximately twice the range of conventional BEV.
Mazda: The carmaker had more than 1,000 cars on display (miniatures, of course). Mazda also unveiled the Iconic SP in bright red exterior colour viola red, based on Mazda’s desire to “cherish the colour red.” It uses Mazda’s unique two-rotor rotary-EV system, which is compact and offers a high degree of freedom in layout.
Toyota: The world’s largest carmaker showed it’s serious about electrification at the Japan Mobility Show 2023. It showcased the FT-Se electric sports car concept – a battery-powered sports coupe with proportions similar to the defunct MR2 of the 1980s and 1990s. It also showcased the Land Cruiser Se, a battery electric vehicle.
Subaru: The Japanese carmaker unveiled two concept models, the Subaru Air Mobility Concept and the Subaru Sport Mobility Concept, as show models to express Subaru’s vision of a new generation of mobility.
Mercedes-Benz: The German carmaker did Japan premiere of two cars – the Concept EQG, an electric version of Mercedes-Benz’s traditional off-roader, the G-Class, and Mercedes-AMG C 63 SE Performance, which is a strong hybrid high-performance car, with a 0-100 km/h time of 3.8 seconds.
Suzuki: It displayed the Wagon R for the Indian market that is powered by cow dung. The car uses the existing internal combustion engine technology and utilises India’s abundant biomass resources (cow dung, etc). Suzuki said such technologies can help India achieve its carbon neutrality goal of 2070. Also on display was the Swift Concept – a new-generation Swift with a futuristic and unique styling using a polyhedron motif (a 3D design that has flat faces, straight edges, and sharp corners).
BYD: The Chinese have landed in Japan. BYD showcased the Atto 3, a midsize SUV that will be the first model to be released in Japan, the Dolphin, a compact EV, and the Seal, a sports sedan. BYD reiterated its promise of “cooling the Earth by 1-degree Celsius” using electrification technologies.
Honda: The carmaker said that even in the process of electrification to achieve carbon neutrality and the spread of autonomous driving technology, it will continue to pursue and pass on the pleasure of driving. Cars such as the Prelude Concept will help it meet those goals. Honda also showed it is ready to take on Tesla with the showcase of the Prologue prototype, an EV for North America.
HondaJet: For Honda, mobility isn’t just on the ground, but also in the air, and showcased the HondaJet Elite II, as well as the small turbofan engine HF120 that it has developed using technology gained through experience with General Electric.
Afeela: Sony Honda Mobility (SHM) unveiled the Afeela prototype for the first time in Japan ahead of its public release.
Nissan: Nissan showcased its might in electrification by showcasing the Hyper Force, Hyper Tourer, Hyper Punk, Hyper Adventure and Hyper Urban. Also on display were the Leaf 90th Anniversary model, Ariya and the Formula E race car.
BMW: The only other western carmaker (after Mercedes-Benz) was BMW, which did the world premiere of the new iX2/X2 at the Japan Mobility Show 2023. It also did the Asian premiere of the BMW Vision Neue Klasse, a concept model that symbolises the future of the brand.
