Autoblog UK

The Tokyo Motor Show has always been different from the rest. This applies to the vehicles on parade and to the visitors in equal measure. Basically, the Japanese and the Europeans have divergent tastes. They read manga comics (by preference to Donald Duck), are mad about electronic gadgetry and drive cars that we would consider shoe boxes on wheels.

This became clear from the concept cars exhibited by the national automotive industry, which effectively turned it into a design Disneyland. There was hardly a serious idea on display with any future prospect of realisation. The Toyota FT-86 will certainly grace the landscape as the next generation Celica. But virtually all the other show models have no chance at all of ever making it onto the road.

Mitsubishi plan to fill a gap in their current portfolio with a new compact SUV. The vehicle will have name by the time of its European debut at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show. Visually, the newcomer will have a lot in common with the Concept CX first exhibited in 2007. The first drawings show a sporty sloping roof line and a gaping shark's jaw grille. The front view is very much in keeping with the new brand visage now familiar from the mid-range Mitsubishi Lancer.

At the IAA in Frankfurt, Honda were prominent by their absence. Now, at the Tokyo Motor Show, the Japanese carmaker seems determined to compensate in full. They have the biggest stand of all the exhibitors and have filled it up with an array of design studies that are brimful of new ideas, albeit eccentric in part. One of the design highlights of the show is bound to be the Honda Skydeck Concept. This futuristic, airily named family van is clearly a long way removed from being a production-ready vehicle, yet it arouses more than just passing interest. With its windscreen blending into a glass roof, driver and passengers have an impression of unconstrained freedom. The seating too has been designed with leisure in mind. The front doors open upwards and the rear doors slide backwards. In other words, they're doors, Jim, but not as we know them. There is no B-pillar to impede ingress. And if you prefer to sit in the third row, you can push the second bench under the front seat. Under the bonnet, a hybrid PLUS engine provides an eco-friendly drive.

Visitors to the Tokyo Motor Show can admire a prototype of the Honda CR-Z hybrid sports car that is claimed to be ready for series production, though whether this gleaming white vision ever makes it onto the road is anyone's guess. For the present, at least, Honda are once again showcasing the sporty hybrid model just as a design study. So will they or won't they? Honda have the biggest stand of all the manufacturers exhibiting at the Tokyo Motor Show. It would be a pity if they were merely using the CR-Z to fill up what would otherwise have been an empty space.

At the Tokyo Motor Show, local carmaker Mitsubishi will be presenting an SUV prototype with a revolutionary hybrid engine/motor that they claim is capable of beating the psychological 2 litres per 100km threshold. The PX-MiEV concept is powered by a newly developed plug-in hybrid system capable of delivering over 140 miles to the gallon. The vehicle combines the best of modern drive technology with superb road dynamics. The latter are provided by the new Mitsubishi S-AWC (Super All Wheel Control) four-wheel drive system plus E-AYC (Electric-Powered Active Yaw Control) drive function which ensures the variable distribution of drive torque between left and right-hand side of the vehicle.

At the Tokyo Motor Show (24th October - 4th November), Nissan will be showing off an unusual prototype that combines elements of a mini with those of a motorbike. According to Nissan, the model on display is just a design study. Having said that, though, future small cars from the manufacturer may be heading in this general direction. The dimensions and technology of the tandem could be the answer to some of the problems in congested urban environments. By seating the single passenger directly behind the driver, the designers have ensured that the Land Glider has a very narrow body. Special technology is used to enable the Land Glider to tilt at an angle of up to 17 degrees on corners. The roof is reminiscent of the cockpit on an aeroplane. The vehicle is powered by an electric motor located next to the rear axle and fed from lithium ion batteries.

Subaru are unveiling a gull-winged car called 'Hybrid Tourer Concept' at the Tokyo Motor Show. This vehicle features two electric motors and a 2.0-litre direct-injected flat-four horizontally opposed engine, which permanently power all four wheels via a new Lineartronic Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) drive train. The 4.63-metre concept car has two gull wing doors, giving access to both rows of seats. There are no B-pillars. Extremely narrow A-pillars provide for a greenhouse-like expanse of glass. Chunky C-pillars emphasise the rear three-quarter.

In addition to the Basket and the Deca Deca, Daihatsu will be unveiling two more jolly little vehicles at the Tokyo Motor Show. Here too, the designers have decided that the cube is the optimum shape. The e:s is so named to refer to its dual qualities – eco & smart. And it does indeed resemble the Smart. This 700kg lightweight has its world premiere in Tokyo and is claimed to do 85 miles to the gallon (3.3 L/100km). The Tanto Exe is set to woo purchasers by virtue of its good-looking cabin. There is a second version, the Tanto Exe Custom, which can be supplied to individual specification and therefore qualifies as a 'superbox'.

Asian manufacturers are increasingly favouring the cube as a basic design shape. For example, Daihatsu will be arriving at the forthcoming Tokyo Motor Show with two concept cars they have designated the Basket and the Deca Deca, neither of which will be competing for any beauty prizes. The Basket is an open four-seater equipped with a hard top to cover driver and front-seat passenger, and a soft top for anyone travelling in the rear. This is supposed to give a foretaste of a new 'lifestyle' cabriolet for Japanese urbanites. With its box-like structure, the Deca Deca offers plenty of interior space for minimum exterior dimensions. Of particular practical merit are the cupboard-style doors that give easy access to the versatile multi-purpose cabin.

At the Tokyo Motor Show, from the 24th October until the 4th November, Toyota are showing a sports car design, which should close a gap in their model range. The Toyota FT-86 Concept is a rear-wheel drive 2+2. A classic coupé, it has a lovely long bonnet and low-slung cabin. Evil-looking headlights and a big radiator grille exude prestige and performance. Power is courtesy of a 2.0L Subaru flat-four engine, said to produce 200bhp. A production version of the sports car could be with us by the end of 2011.