TOKYO MOTOR SHOW: Suzuki thinks small

Suzuki may not have the powerhouse sales strength of Toyota or racing pedigree of Nissan, but come late October at the 2015 Tokyo motor show, it'll establish it's the master of the compact car domain.

That's because it's showing a trio of funky concept cars, all of them tiny, and all of them intriguing in their own way.

Of the three concepts previewed ahead of their public showing at the biennial Japanese motor show, only the Suzuki Ignis concept is expected to make the transition to production, the compact crossover last sold in Australia in 2005.

Revealed in two guises – regular and 'Trail' – the Ignis presents a fresh face and an attractive interior replete with tablet infotainment screen for those inside.

The second concept from the small car specialist is the boxy Suzuki Air Triser, a three-row people-mover that's compact, efficient, and just a bit kooky.

Measuring roughly 4.2 metres long – slightly shorter than a Toyota Corolla – the Air Triser concept boasts a striking design by way of its unorthodox structural roof pillars.

They are set in the middle of the car, rather than at the corners, though whether this approach would be effective in crash test laboratories is not clear.

Sliding side doors improve access and the interior pretty spiffy; the rear seats can be arranged to face each other or contorted into a horseshoe-shaped sofa thingamajig. There's even a huge LCD screen and no doubt a thumping stereo to ensure this is the coolest party bus in Akihabara.

Power for the Air Triser is via hybrid propulsion, comprising a 1.4-litre petrol engine an electric motor.

But Suzuki has saved the best 'til last, with the Suzuki Mighty Deck concept. This compact 'ute' not only features an electronically adjustable bed height, but it invokes giddy memories of the Mighty Boy micro ute that appeared in the early 1980s and was sold in Australia in the 1990s.

Measuring just 3395mm long, it's slightly longer than the Mighty Boy but is still ridiculously compact even by Japanese standards. The 'kei' car is powered by a 658cc turbo-petrol three-cylinder engine that propels the car in tandem with an electric motor.

Featuring a canvas roof for open-air frolicking, the Mighty Deck will "free people to move between contrasting situations and mindsets: city and nature; home and away; work and leisure; relaxed and playful," says Suzuki.

Although the likelihood of a production version of the two-seat Suzuki Mighty Deck is slim to none, the yellow/black micro utility with its bamboo bumper inserts and nominal interior fit out certainly makes an impression.

Stay tuned to our coverage of the 2015 Tokyo motor show direct from Japan's largest exhibition complex, Tokyo Big Sight.