Japanese resilience on display at Tokyo Motor Show

The manufacturers present at Tokyo Motor Show display some form of green motoring and urban mobility concepts primarily powered by fuel cells or other forms of electrical energy.


The famous unputdownable spirit of the Japanese is evident in all its glory at the 42nd Tokyo Motor Show (TMS), which will continue till this Sunday. The world economy seems be heading south, oil prices are hovering near $ 100 a barrel, people aren't buying lots of cars, and Japan is still recovering from the terrible impact of the Fukushima earthquake and tsunami. That should have doomed TMS, but it hasn't disappointed the world.

Among the big global brands, only BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen and Jaguar Land Rover showed up, but the Japanese manufacturers have more than made up with their new models and wacky concepts. The show this time is at Tokyo Big Sight, which is 20 minutes by train from the city centre.

The highlight of this year has been the rollout of some amazing concepts such as the Toyota Fun-Vii, where the side panel of the car is an LED screen, capable of displaying your smartphone messages. Or the two-seater Suzuki Q-Concept, an ultra-ompact smart city car, just 2.5m long and 1.3m wide, which can fit into the tightest of spaces.

Environmental awareness was also much in evidence at the TMS. All the manufacturers present are showing off some form of green motoring, so we are seeing a lot of hybrid, full-electric and other non-fossil fuel cars on display, and urban mobility concepts primarily powered by fuel cells or other forms of electrical energy.

The TMS shows every sign of success. Most manufacturers have limited themselves to tasteful displays of in-production cars, many of which we'll definitely see in the Indian market, such as Honda's all- new 1.6- litre diesel engine. It will surely find its way into the Indian market, given the company's weak presence in this segment. The signs of a resurgent Japan are there for the world to see.

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