GENEVA MOTOR SHOW: Toyota i-TRIL concept revealed

Toyota has something of a penchant for urban mobility. For evidence, you need only look at the Japanese car maker’s efforts in the past two years’ alone – specifically, the recent i-ROAD.

Toyota again lived up to its reputation this week, unveiling the i-TRIL concept at the Geneva motor show. Identified as “a viable alternative to city cars, other electric vehicles, public transport and motorcycles”, the new one-plus-two-seat concept is all-electric and features autonomous technology.

i-TRIL is 1500mm long and rides on a 1200mm wide front track and 600mm rear track. Its electric motor claims up to 200km range.

Offering a clean and simple design, including butterfly-opening doors, the i-TRIL’s cabin is bereft of typical switchgear and pedals, instead relying on nodes and artificial intelligence to operate the vehicle and its multimedia and infotainment systems.

The driving position is said to be laid back – almost akin to a go-kart, according to Toyota.

“Steering, acceleration and braking are carried out by drive-by-wire control nodes, similar to electronic game controllers,” the company says.

“During autonomous driving, the control nodes automatically retract into the driving module, which itself moves forward and is stowed within the dashboard to allow the driver maximum freedom of movement.

“A further feature of the autonomous driving mode, the instrument panel extremities on the left or right automatically illuminate whenever the i-TRIL is about to enter a corner, letting all occupants know which way the cabin is about to lean."

The i-TRIL expands on the i-ROAD’s “active lean” technology, allowing the vehicle body and front tyres to lean into a corner while the motorised rear tyres remain perpendicular to the road at all times. The resulting turning circle of four metres is claimed to match well with congested urban environments.

Toyota hasn’t provided specific detail on the concept, nor clarification on whether it will ever see production. Rest assured, the answer will likely come in the form of another further-evolved concept in the near future.