Just a few days after doors close on the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show, the doors will open for the 2011 Tokyo Auto Show, which takes place at Tokyo’s “Big Sight” Exhibition Center from December 2-11.
Although Tokyo’s bi-annual auto show has lost much of its luster in the past few years it is still an important one for Japanese manufacturers. Suzuki, a key player, along with Daihatsu, in the large minicar segment will be unveiling a couple of cars that look production ready and one quirky concept. No surprise there.
Also being unveiled is the production version of the Suzuki Swift Sport, which will be the performance model in the new Swift lineup. It will get a boost in performance and stiffer suspension compared to the regular Swift. It also gets a new six-speed manual transmission. We don’t know whether it will ever be sold in the U.S. Hopefully it will, as it’s an attractive looking small car that competes against the Ford Fiesta in Europe.
A concept Swift EV Hybrid will also be on display. Suzuki is also calling it a Range Extender as the car is expected to be driven on battery power alone for only 20 miles, which is the distance most Japanese drivers cover in a day. Like the Chevrolet Volt, a small gasoline engine acts as an on-board generator to extend the range if needed.
Suzuki says the Regina is its vision of a next-gen compact car for the global market. It claims that thanks to an emphasis on saving weight it’s as light as a minicar and can achieve about 75 mpg from a gasoline engine.
Finally there is Q-concept, which makes a Smart look dull! Suzuki says the Q-concept is positioned between a motorcycle and a car. It is just over 8 feet long with two seats in a tandem configuration.
Suzuki says the Q-concept is more practical than a car since it’s more maneuverable and takes up much less parking space. At the same time, a cabin makes it more attractive and more comfortable than a motorcycle making it handy for short journeys in congested cities. Furthermore Suzuki says the Q-concept can have a single seat for a parent in the front and a dual child seat in the rear or it can be configured as a delivery vehicle with a single seat in front and a cargo area in the rear.
Related posts:
- Mitsubishi Concepts: 2011 Tokyo Auto Show Preview
- Suzuki Grand Vitara Marine Concept – 2011 SEMA Show
- 2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS
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