2017 Tokyo motor show - full report and gallery

For all their failings at communication, the Japanese car makers do deliver a fine line in suggesting that they prize social goals and customer needs as highly as they do sales and profit charts.

In part, that’s why the simmering resentment among some of them about having their hands forced into making battery-electric cars is worth listening to. Their concern is not just about the billions being sunk into developing the technologies required, but a seemingly heartfelt belief that the infrastructure hasn’t been put in place to measure that battery electric cars do have a significantly lower environmental impact than combustion-engined cars.

By that, they don’t mean lower CO2 tailpipe figures, but rather whole life environmental costs, the geological impact of mining for the raw metals required and the lack of a cohesive plan for using batteries when they are no longer good for cars. But make electrified vehicles they must, and it was consequently no surprise to see a raft of them unveiled at one of the most earnest Tokyo motor shows for years.

Best of the battery-electric concepts were the Honda Sports EV, which provided yet further proof that the firm’s mojo is back in the ascendancy, the Nissan IMx, which showed that the company finally has the confidence to start extending its line-up, and the Toyota Concept-i. The latter had been seen earlier this year at the Consumer Electronics Show, but was displayed again as an affirmation that the firm is very ready to go head-to-head with Volkswagen in the race to launch a family of battery electric cars from 2020, and possibly rather more advanced in its solid state battery research.

For Toyota, who presented one of the most diverse offerings of show cars in history, the comically named Comfort-Ride was another triumph, once bosses made it clear that the next-generation hydrogen fuel cell technology that lies within could be ready by as soon as 2020. Arguments will rage as to what is the cleanest, most viable way to attain personal mobility for years to come, but it’s worth taking another moment to emphasise Toyota’s commitment to the cause.

Lest that sound too worthy, consider the Toyota TJ Cruiser, in part as daft a car as you’ll ever see (it’s inspired by the design of a rectangular tool chest), in part as inspired a crossover as we’ve seen since the Qashqai. Original, simple, yet challenging it oozed charm.

Mitsubishi raised pulses with its e-Evolution concept, although again its maker’s over-eagerness to pack it with technology dampened what should have been the core messages of a new Juke rival being imminent and the Evo name living on, in electrified form.

It’s clear why Mitsubishi wanted to push messages about autonomy and artificial intelligence, but they seemed slightly incongruous given the Evo’s famously driver-centric approach. In contrast, the striking Subaru Viziv Performance concept settled for merely being striking, and the mooted next-gen WRX stood out all the more for it.

For reasons of beauty alone, the two Mazda concepts stood apart from anything else at the show. The Vision Coupe was the most elegant car on display, and the Kai (which likely previews the next Mazda 3) appears nicely resolved on all but its flanks. At the heart of the mainstream, only Renault’s design ethos burns as brightly, albeit for its unbridled charm to Mazda’s emerging elegance.

In contrast, the Lexus LS+ was something of a damp squib. Striking though it was, there was no clear explanation of why its semi-autonomous and AI tech was better than anything already on the road today. The decision to hold back its reveal until show day had built expectation that the reality just didn’t meet. The Nissan Leaf Nismo also fell into that category too; the oddball styling doesn’t express the potential fun of the powertrain.

It was also hard to know what to feel about the Yamaha Cross Hub. Harsh though it may sound to say about the good-looking concept, it was hard to shake the belief that we’d rather have been looking at production versions of the city and sports car concepts made in conjunction with Gordon Murray Design that it has previously unveiled. Time may prove us wrong, but it felt that Yamaha’s road car ambitions are losing momentum, rather than gaining it. 

Overall, though, the show was a triumph for anyone looking to take the temperature of the Japanese car industry. Sure, 2017 will be remembered as an earnestly forward-looking affair, devoid of the wacky concepts we’ve so celebrated in the past, but as any trickster will tell you, eventually you have to grow up – or at least demonstrate that you can grown up. Here in Tokyo, that’s exactly what the Japanese car industry did. 

You can read all our stories from the 2017 Tokyo motor show here, and check out our latest analysis of the key events in Japan here. 

How the Tokyo motor show unfolded - updates as they happened

1902: Japanese manufacturers are as anxious as anyone that Brexit goes smoothly. Mazda UK boss Jeremy Thomson, referring to its 15% decrease in UK sales year-to-date this year, said that the negative impact has been seen ever since the Brexit scenario started. He added that he’s “very keen that the UK government forms a free trade agreement with Japan” to help ensure good business once Brexit is complete.

1832: Want to take a quick tour of the Tokyo motor show halls? Well, we've done the legwork for you in a handy video. And then handily sped it up, so it will take up even less of your precious time. Enjoy...

1817: Mitsubishi would have struggled to survive the switch to electrified, connected and autonomous cars on its own, according to executive vice president Mitsuhiko Yamashita. Not so now it is part of an alliance with Renault and Nissan. “Mitsubishi was a million car a year company, now it’s part of a 10m a year group. Only with group structures can you develop this,” he said. Read about the Mitsubishi e-Evolution SUV concept here.

1729: Some big breaking news from Hachigo, who refused to rule out the prospect of a new S2000 sports car. Apparently, it could depend on public enthusiasm. Go on, show how enthusiastic you are by checking out the full story here.

1720: Worried all electric cars will end up being homogenised with battery and electric motor technology? Honda boss Takahiro Hachigo reckons no more so than a car with a petrol engine, and believes the freedom of electric cars will allow manufacturers to create cars and "complete packages" even more diverse than rival offerings now. "It's about who can offer the most complete package to the consumer, that's the point," he said.

1717: Mark Tisshaw has been off to heart from Honda boss Takahiro Hachigo - and there was some early chat about fuel cells. These provide the cleanest possible solution for future motoring according to Hachigo as they generate their own power on-board. To that end, Honda will not slow down its development of the technology, even if the infrastructure continues to lag.

1654: Mazda has long been linked to rotary engines, but the firm hasn't had a Wankel unit in production since it stopped making the RX-8 back in 2012. But that's going to change now - it's bring back the rotary as a range-extending hybrid. Check out the full story here.

1632: Although there’s no official Aston Martin stand in Tokyo, Jim Holder notes that a DB11 resides on tyre partner Bridgestone’s display and a delegation led by chief designer Marek Reichmann toured the show. Aston has long been popular with Japanese buyers, and boss and former Nissan bigwig Andy Palmer made sure to strengthen ties with the country when he took the helm of the firm.

1608: How quickly can you design a concept car? Around eight months if you’re Yamaha’s chief designer Jeung Hyun Choul and you don’t have a prescribed platform or power train to work around. As such, the Cross Hub Concept is more conceptual than most, but even so it is a remarkably credible piece of work given the timeframes. “We got the brief to create a car that showed how Yamaha would do a car in January,” he says. “Nobody said ‘Build a pick-up with SUV looks’ they just said ‘Build a car that typifies Yamaha’. This is the result of some very intense work.”

1547: Does Honda's factory in Swindon have a future post Brexit? Most definitely, according to CEO Takahiro Hachigo. On Brexit, he said: "We would like to see clear rules and conditions when Brexit happens. We do not think there will be a drastic change of strategy in the UK. Maybe - possibly - we'll make some small changes as part of an adjustment, but there's no plan to drastically change Honda's strategy."

1508: Subaru’s head of design, Mamoru Ishii, claims he had no inkling how his latest Viziv Performance concept car would be received prior to the Tokyo motor show, according to Jim Holder. “I was not certain how it would be received, but so far we have a lot of positive interest,” he said. However, he denied he had the next-gen WRX in mind when he oversaw its creation, saying instead: “We just wanted to explore the future of performance for Subaru and provoke reaction that we can respond to. Whether the WRX or a similar car looks like this will be down to the reaction, not me.”

1452: Mark Tisshaw has uncovered that the designer of the Honda Sports EV concept, Makoto Harada, won an internal competition ahead of 150 others from design studios around the world. He was the sole designer of the project and did it in a "super tight turnaround". Tish adds: “The best bit? He's an Autocar subscriber, so clearly a man of excellent taste.” 

Excellent taste, indeed. Would now be a good time to mention you can get great deals on Autocar subscriptions? They make excellent Christmas presents too... Christmas? Too soon? Probably. Halloween gift, maybe?

1445: While there’s plenty of attention on the Japanese cars at their home show, Jim Holder reckons the French are impressing too: “Interesting to see the new Renaultsport Megane RS attracting such a big crowd. Japan is a key market for Renaultsport but, famously for lovers of left-foot workouts, only buys cars - even hot hatches - with an automatic gearbox. Other growing Asian markets have followed suit, which explains why the Clio RS doesn’t get a manual option, and why the Megane RS can be bought with either. Insiders put the bias down to the fact that the automatic’s paddleshift is more like in line with how F1 drivers operate, although there is also speculation that Tokyo’s traffic-logged roads mean an auto is less hassle most of the time.

1433: Jimi's in two minds: "Honda's show area is a little split; it has tremendous Wifi and an incredible number of interesting models to look at, but getting any work done is a challenge; there are toy cars embedded in the floor, in the pillars of the canopy and exhibits around me are making loud chirping noises every few seconds. This S660 is in its own underground garage in the floorboards."

1415: The Mitsubishi Evo has been a buzzword for this year's show, but it's not as present as it seems, says Mark: "Think the new Mitsubishi Evo is back? Not quite... The concept car actually previews a new B-segment SUV due in 2018/19 that will rival the new Juke, while the three motor electric technology will go into future models. The Evo? It will be back, but not before 2022/23. It may or may not be an SUV; it may or may not be electric powered. That's to be decided. The Evo name is used here to show Mitsubishi has it in its locker still."

1359: Bittersweet news for Formula E - Nissan has joined the pure-electric race series, but will replace Renault, which will leave after the 2017/2018 season. Nissan will be the first Japanese carmaker in the burgeoning motorsport series. 

1345: "Nissan's senior vice president of design, Alfonso Albaisa, looks back to a bigger age of Japanese motoring," says Jimi, straight out of a conference. "Albaisa referred everyone to Tokyo motor shows of the early 1990s, which were much bigger during the 'bubble of Japan'.

1326: Some good news for fans of Uk design legend Gordon Murray, says Jim: "Although the third Yamaha road car concept to be shown in as many Tokyo motor shows is the first to be done without the input of Gordon Murray Design, the city and sports car concepts that he has produced previously are progressing to the engineering prototype stage according to Yamaha chiefs. They say they will spend a few more years studying the feasibility of both cars, but remain optimistic the projects could reach fruition."

1310: Doubting Subaru? Don't, says Jim Holder: "Some might think Subaru is at a crossroads, it’s faithful mix of four-wheel driver, boxer engines and old fashioned rugged appeal approaching its sell-by date. But judging by the depth of the crowds fighting to see the latest concept - a WRX by any other name - building a car for petrolheads still resonates with the masses. Global sales are up, and judging by the fervour on the stand there could be more good news to come too."

1255: One of the world's largest car makers has a mixed stage presence: "Has there ever been a stand as diverse as Toyota's at a motor show? They've got everything from a hydrogen-powered bus through to a Targa-roofed sports car with the quirkiest automatic gearbox for many a year, with everything from next-generation hydrogen and battery-electric concepts, plus production versions of the new Toyota Crown and Toyota Century in between. Oh, and then there's the TJ Cruiser, an SUV concept that breaks just about every rule, is modelled on a rectangular toolbox and yet which is, well, massively appealing. It's a lot to take in, but it neatly summarises Toyota's quirky size and strength."

1237: Jimi's enjoying the calm before the storm: "The show floor might be a hive of activity, noise and heat, but the press room is a near-silent, perfectly air-conditioned warehouse-sized room with seating for all. Things got a bit louder with the arrival of lunch though." 

1212: Volvo's unexpectedly big in Japan, says Rachel. "I'd never really thought that Volvo would be popular in Japan, but I’ve already seen plenty on the roads. And so I shouldn’t be surprised they have a stand here. They’re only pushing the Volvo XC60 though and there’s no sign whatsoever of the new XC40."

1201: There can’t be many motor shows where these two can’t draw a crowd. The proximity of the Mazda stand, with its two stunning concepts, doesn’t help, but the fact is that if you just turn up to a motor show these days without showing something new, heads will scarcely turn.

1154: Jim has some bad news: The BMW Z4 is - sadly - as close as we’ll get to seeing the Toyota Supra (with which it shares its platform) in Tokyo this year. Word is Toyota - or should that be Gazoo Racing’s - offering will be shown sometime next year, prior to an on-sale date in 2019.

1144: Rachel's eyeing a sheeted car. No peeking. "Yamaha is due to unveil a car ‘design study’ - judging by the cover shape, it’s going to be very interesting..."

1135: There are currently lots of messages on the office messenger app with “Where is x? East 1-6 or 7-8?” flying around - confirming that the Tokyo motor show is in fact a maze.

1126: A little local knowledge goes a long way: "Clever marketing from Daihatsu. It clearly knows its English regional dialects. In Norfolk, 'light you up' means 'cheer up'. Its cars certainly do that to you." 

1111: Tisshaw's patriotism knows no bounds: "Britain doesn't have a motor show anymore, yet its legacy and cultural impact lives on in shows elsewhere."

1055: Daihatsu's stealing the show with its five dinky concepts, ranging from a sports car to a wheelchair-accessible vehicle: "Kudos to Daihatsu for unveiling its headline show car alongside a similarly coloured part of its heritage. Trouble is, the older car reminds you just how bloated modern vehicles have become, and the fact it is arguably at the expense of a dollop of charm too.

1044: Because mobility solutions are certainly not a new concept: "Honda is a famously not just a maker of cars, and has a whole glut of other 'things with wheels' at the show, including this futuristic take on the wheelchair."

1034: Mark's not keen to try out the lesser exhibits of Tokyo: "This looks like a Japanese remake of the Simon Pegg/Nick Frost film, The World's End. I'm not even going to attempt to decipher what's going on here."

1021: Jimi's in need of an energy boost already: "It might be one of the smaller global motor shows, but Tokyo is proving to be as maze-like as the rest of them. A mental and physical challenge to find the WiFi haven that is the press room from my arrival point." 

1012: Everyone's favourite EV concept is about to get overshadowed: "My favourite car at Frankfurt was the Honda Urban EV, and I suspect my favourite car from Tokyo might be its sibling the Sports EV. Ask me later..."

1000: Toyota's pragmatic Tokyo presentation has Jim Holder impressed: "Interesting, wide-ranging, address from Toyota executive president Didier Leroy, on the firm’s transition from a car to mobility firm, exemplified by its work to find transport solutions for people with disabilities, through to what he says is world leadership in solid state battery technology, which he says Toyota holds more patents on than every rival. It’s a powerful speech, confident but not swaggering, and portrays Toyota in a more forward-thinking light than is often put forward by company outsiders."

0945: "The many, many faces of BMW - and the X7 isn't even here. No chance of Russian doll styling here, at least."

0935: Rachel's not feeling the love for the Leaf Nismo: "Hate to say it, but the Leaf Nismo looks seriously underwhelming."

0925: The world's subtlest reference to rotary, perhaps? Mark's getting dizzy: "The turn table on which the Mazda Kai concept is displayed is spinning as fast as I've ever seen one spin. Something to hide, chaps? You don't have to look too closely to see the next gen 3 in there..."

0912: Mazda product strategists: this is an official request: "Aston won't be replacing the Aston Martin Rapide 'four door sports car' (they rebranded it from a saloon years ago), but Mazda is more than welcome to do it for them with a production version of the stunning Vision Coupe."

0903: Back to work, Burgess, we're here for new metal: "One of my favourite cars of all time here. Seems slightly out of place but given all the classics I’ve seen on the roads here, ranging from a 2CV to an XJR, perhaps I shouldn’t surprised that the Japanese like their heritage cars"

0853: Wishful thinking, Mark: "Subaru has the not-for-UK BRZ STI Sport here among four other show debuts of various degrees of significance. And yet despite its performance makeover, there is still no extra power for its boxer engine. Has Subaru given it an F1-style performance freeze where it can't touch it for years on end? Give it a good slug of extra power and torque to really differentiate it from its Toyota GT86 sibling."

0849: Rachel's been swotting up on Mazda's design strategy: "Mazda has stripped back its design even more with its two new concepts, with a philosophy it calls the ‘art of light’ in which it wants its model surfaces incredibly clean so to manipulate the light. The brand’s head of design is trying to combat the lack of elegance in modern cars."

0842: You'd think that once you've seen one motor show, you'd have seen them all. Not so. "First time at Tokyo motor show for me. Seems calm but intrigued to see how heaving it gets..." says Rachel.

0831: At motor shows, journalism is most certainly a contact sport: "There's standing room only at home heroes Toyota and Lexus. Word is the secret Lexus concept is indeed the hydrogen-powered version of the LS. Not long until we get confirmation..."

0829: Jim Holder's getting his serious, exec-grilling face on: "Dress rehearsal time at Toyota, to help film crews get their light and sound balance right ahead of executive Vice President Didier Leroy’s arrival for the big announcements. After all the build up, its nearly time to get going..."

0821: One of the first reveals of the day is this stunning Mazda Vision Coupe Concept. Mazda hasn't given word on production, but has said that it's a design study. Don't expect it to be a dramatic replacement to the 6. 

0814 MT: Nissan's stand is packed with new Leafs - it clearly is a huge leap forward tech wise, but visually? When the motoring history books are written, the Leaf will be commended for many things - a pleasing design not among them.

0808 MT: Most major motor shows have the word 'international' in their title, but that's increasingly less the case. Paris feels like a French car show, the recent Frankfurt show a German one - and this Tokyo motor show is effectively Japan-only, with no major debuts outside of countries from outside Japan's four islands. A good thing in my eyes - shows were becoming too homogenised. Not so for fairs like Tokyo.

0802 MT: Usually not one for teasers, but for once we have been suitably teased in the build up to this show. New Honda and Mazda sports cars and a returning Mitsubishi Evo have whetted the appetite and have a genuine air of intrigue and surprise around them. Today will be a good day.

0800 JH: First stop is the Toyota and Lexus press conferences. We’ve already seen and heard about Toyota’s offerings, and the deeper you scratch below the seemingly wacky exteriors the more you learn about the firm’s future EV, hydrogen and Artificial Intelligence strategies. The real intrigue, though, is an unspecified Lexus concept. The smart money is on it being a hydrogen derivative of the flagship LS, fitting for the home motor show, but perhaps it could be the mooted BMW X1 rival on production form?

2017 Tokyo motor show - the cars

Daihatsu DN range

Daihatsu is presenting no fewer than five cars at the Tokyo motor show, including a dinky four-door coupé, the DN Compagno, small SUV, the DN Trec, larger, three-row SUV in the DN Multisix, 660cc, petrol-powered U-Space, and the DN Pro Cargo concept, which is powered by electric, and is claimed to be a versatile load-lugger, suitable for a variety of uses, from wheelchair-accessible vehicle, to small mobile cafe. 

Honda Sports EV

Honda's doing a Volkswagen with its electric concepts, and is revealing the Sports EV - closely related to the Frankfurt show-stealing Urban EV a few weeks ago - in Tokyo. It's another virginal white concept, with retro styling cues carried over from its Urban EV sibling. Unlike the Urban EV, Honda hasn't announced a production date for the Sports EV...

Honda Urban EV

...although the Urban EV is being wheeled out at Tokyo for a second bite of the motor show cherry.

Lexus concept

Alongside its other models, including the new LS, Lexus will showcase a new concept car at the Tokyo motor show, which the brand is keeping tight-lipped about until the official press conference. Lexus' last concept was the UX, revealed at the Paris motor show in 2016. Given the current electric, autonomous and SUV trends, it's likely that the concept will be an electric, autonomous SUV. 

Mazda 'design vision model' 

Neither of Mazda's concepts yet have names, but the design vision model, as Mazda describes it, shows the brand's future styling direction, continuing its 'Kodo' design language, on a dramatic, four-door coupé. It follows the similarly rakish RX Vision concept of the last Tokyo motor show in 2015. 

Mazda 'product concept'

The product concept, despite not being pinned to previewing any specific model, is an unmistakable signpost as to what to expect from the next Mazda 3. It's a five-door hatchback, powered by Mazda's cutting-edge Skyactiv-X compression ignition technology, and styling draws inspiration from the new Mazda CX-5. 

Mitsubishi e-Evolution

Mitsubishi is reviving the Evolution name on an unfamiliar car; instead of a rally-honed sports saloon, the e-Evolution is a low-riding coupé-SUV, with electric four-wheel drive and advanced autonomous systems. It’s not yet confirmed for production, but Mitsubishi says the car would be its flagship should it hit the roads.

Mitsubishi Electric Emirai 4

Odd one, this one; it's not Mitsubishi as we know it, but the brand's electrics and tech subsidiary, Mitsubishi Electric. The car might not make production as-is, rather being a test and display bed for human machine interface tech shown inside. 

Nissan electric SUV

The Nissan Leaf has been the Japanese car maker’s sole electric vehicle since launch, but now the second-generation EV has arrived, Nissan is planning to broaden its electric-powered range with an SUV. Although Nissan revealed the Terra electric SUV concept back in 2012, Nissan says that this is not the car for Tokyo this year. 

Nissan Leaf Nismo concept

Nissan will continue its EV assault with a concept to preview the upcoming Nissan Leaf Nismo - a racier version of the best-selling EV - which it's bringing to the Tokyo show later in the month. 

Subaru Viziv Performance concept

Subaru’s Tokyo-bound concept is an aggressive, box-arched performance saloon, with the angular face of the Impreza up front and a ducktail spoiler at the rear. Subaru hasn’t yet revealed any details of the car, so look out on show day for full specs. 

Suzuki e-Survivor concept

And now for something completely different. Alongside the new Suzuki Jimny, Suzuki will also show its e-Survivor concept, designed to be the future of the small off-roader. It has an electric motor for each wheel, huge ground clearance, two seats, an open roof and considerable off-road potential. 

Toyota Fine-Comfort Ride concept

Bet you can't guess what this is being pitched against - Toyota's going outlandish, with its Fine-Comfort Ride concept, which is said to propose "a new form of the premium saloon in a low-carbon society". You guessed it - the Mercedes-Benz S-Class is in its sights, with a wheelbase 30cm longer than Mercedes' saloon, and a focus upon comfort inside.

Toyota GR HV Sports concept

If Toyota made all the sports cars which it produced concepts for, it'd be a very sports car-heavy brand. The GR HV is a hybrid sports car based on the GT86, with rear-wheel drive, and a bizarre automatic gearbox, with manual gear lever. 

Toyota TJ Cruiser concept

Alongside the GR HV Sports in Tokyo will be a Tj Cruiser concept (pictured above). This hybrid model hints at the brand’s future SUV design direction with retro styling, chunky dimensions and a modular interior.

Toyota Crown concept

Not one for us; a Toyota Crown concept will also be on show, offering a glimpse of the next-generation Japan-focused model with Internet of Things connectivity, as well as the next-generation Century, another domestic market offering.

Toyota Century