Toyota LQ concept is self-driving electric hatchback

Toyota has unveiled an AI-equipped self-driving hatchback as the centrepiece of its stand at the Tokyo motor show. 

The LQ concept is a development of 2017’s Concept-i. It is capable of Level Four autonomous driving, meaning it can handle most driving situations with no input from the human driver, and features the latest version of Toyota’s artificial intelligence system named Yui.

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Yui has been developed in partnership with Toyota’s Research Institute, and is said to learn from the driver to “deliver a personalised mobility experience”.

The concept’s name, LQ, expresses the company’s plan that the technology will ‘cue’ further development in the field of automotive artificial intelligence. 

Toyota says its AI technology development programme is “based on an understanding that mobility goes beyond physical transportation to include the human need to be moved and engaged emotionally”, suggesting that self-driving vehicles should include functions to keep their passengers occupied. 

The concept’s styling is futuristic, featuring a covered rear wheel, floor-to-ceiling glass and slim, diagonal headlights, while the lower front bumper styling bears a strong resemblance Toyota’s Toyota Prius and Toyota Mirai production vehicles. 

Inside, in what Toyota calls a “world first in seating technology”, an air-conditioned seating system measures the driver’s levels of alertness and relaxation, and reacts accordingly with varying levels of air flow.  Additional features of the LQ’s autonomous software include an automated valet parking function and an augmented reality head-up display.