Mitsubishi puts the F into ART car

Japanese car maker Mitsubishi has unveiled a vehicle that truly is a breath of fresh air.

At the Tokyo motor show yesterday it whipped the covers off a concept car that had a special coating on its perforated seats that got rid of what the company politely called "offensive human odours".

When asked how well the system worked, the designer of the vehicle, Kanenori Okamoto, told the Carsales Network with a smile: "It depends on the smell."

The company says it is all about making a cabin environment "that is as healthy as it is comfortable".

The upholstery has an anti-allergen coating that Mitsubishi says eliminates offensive odours and volatile organic compounds. It also rids allergens such as ticks and pollen.

For good measure, each of the PX Miev concept car's seats is air-conditioned to filter unwanted odours even further.

Whether all this makes it onto a production car is another matter.

The designer said it was an "evaluation only" and that, if it were to make it into production, the technology wouldn't be in showrooms for at least three years.

The PX Miev concept car was meant to hint at the future styling direction for the next generation Outlander soft-roader, as well as showcase Mitsubishi's new hybrid technology.

But the comfy chairs caused a bit of a fluff with the media and stole the limelight.

Mitsubishi's hybrid system is similar to that about to be introduced on the Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid. That is, the car is primarily driven by an electric motor, and a small petrol engine is used to power a generator that recharges the battery pack.

The Prius, the world's biggest selling hybrid car, on the other hand, is primarily driven by a petrol motor but can be driven at low speeds on electric power alone.

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