It doesn’t feel like it, but the Toyota Mirai has been in production since 2014! That’s 5 years of hydrogen-powered mobility from one of the biggest carmakers in the world. So it’s no real surprise that the company will show a new Mirai concept that will preview the 2nd generation production car at the 2019 Tokyo Motor Show later this month.
The Mirai Concept, as it’s being called, will be displayed at the “Future Expo” and will show a completely redesigned car. The aim of this new design is to show the advancements made to Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles, which Toyota still believe are the way forward compared to regular battery electric vehicles.
Increased range, better driving performance, more passenger room and comfort are amongst the improvements that this 2nd generation Toyota Mirai are expected to bring.
It will be launched in 2020, first in Japan, then in North America and Europe. It will be built on the premium rear-wheel drive TNGA platform.
The first Mirai got some 502km from a full tank of hydrogen. This one is said to have a 30% higher range, or about 650km. Many conventional petrol cars struggle to return that kind of result!
Other Toyota TMS 2019 Launches
Toyota Granace MPV
Toyota are also showing a new MPV/wagon called the Granace, which it will start selling in Japan this year. It is 5.3 metres long, 1.97 metres wide and has 2 seating arrangements: 6-seater/8-seater. It will be paired to a 2.75L Clean Diesel. It appears to be related to that new Toyota HiAce.
Lexus BEV
Lexus will be showing a battery-electric luxury vehicle. Here’s the only bit of information we have on that:
“Leveraging continued advances in technologies such as electrification and autonomous driving, the electrified concept offers a glimpse into Lexus’ future vision, which caters to consumers who are equally passionate about driving and uniquely crafted luxury experiences.”
Toyota also uploaded a photo of the 6th generation Celica on their facebook page, which might be a hint about something they’re working on or just a coincidence.
