Toyota eco-concepts at Tokyo motor show

Toyota has eight environmentally sensitive concepts on the stand at the Tokyo motor show.

Some of them look like they came out of a 'happy meal' but they are an interesting preview of the future, as imagined by Toyota.

Just in case you're thinking "Environment -- hybrid -- Prius", don't be mistaken. The eight concepts are as far removed from each other in their function and form as it is possible for cars to be -- and they don't look anything like the current Prius, either.

One car, the 1/X (more here), is rumoured to be the visual paradigm for the next Prius, but it's still very 'out there'. A plug-in hybrid, the 1/X features a 500cm3 engine located beneath the rear seat and driving the rear wheels.

At least the 1/X resembles a car. The RiN looks more like a stately carriage built from plastic and without the horses to pull it. We're not sure how it drives and Toyota seems to be a bit vague on those details too, but the company does say that the RiN is a vehicle for "increased comfort", "serene, healthy living" and "harmony with nature".

Apparently, for the sake of mental and corporeal well-being, the RiN comes equipped with a "mood-training" steering system. This will undoubtedly be handy for those quick visits to the dark side of one's soul.

Heated seats that promote good posture and glass that reduces ultraviolet and infrared radiation join the equipment list, along with an oxygen-level conditioner and 'pinpoint' humidifier. RiN sounds more relaxing than most family lounge rooms.

Less relaxing than a lounge room -- but a recliner nonetheless -- is the i-REAL, which looks like Toyota's answer to the Segway. The Toyota has three wheels and the operator rides around in what looks like the evil love child of a sedan chair and a baby capsule. At higher speeds, the i-REAL's third wheel at the rear extends backwards on a pivoting arm, reclining the driver at a shallower angle and imparting more stability through a lower centre of gravity.

'Perimeter monitoring sensors' warn both pedestrians and the driver of an impending collision by an audible alarm and a vibration for the driver.

Closer to viable production than most of the concepts, the iQ CONCEPT is essentially the way Toyota would develop a smart fortwo, except that Toyota has made it smart enough for three -- four actually, if you include a child that can take a seat inside the car, in lieu of luggage. This vehicle has been reported by us already, following its unveiling at the Frankfurt motor show (more here) and is potentially the basis for a future Yaris model.

Toyota describes the Hi-CT as "cool" -- and it is, in a way -- but it looks so much like a Kenworth truck cab on a Wagon R+ platform. It's a plug-in hybrid and the power can be drawn back the other way, to power accessories from the vehicle through an AC 100V socket. Surfboards, bikes and other paraphernalia of a recreational lifestyle can be stowed at the rear of the vehicle.

Looking a lot like a future Tarago, the FT-MV is conspicuous by the absence of commentary from Toyota. Expect this to come to a Toyota dealer near you in the not-too-distant future.

'Crown' is a name we don't see much in Australia any more, but the badge continues in Japan. Toyota has developed a hybrid concept of the sedan, incorporating new technology ('THS II') to smooth out acceleration, which can be a problem for hybrid-drive vehicles (see our Porsche Cayenne hybrid review here for more information).

Finally, we come to the concept that looks like something the Honda Insight should have been. Toyota's FT-HS is a hybrid coupe with a 3.5-litre V6 and 21-inch wheels. The basic design was introduced at the Detroit motor show (NAIAS) earlier this year (more here). In an ideal world, this would have been Speed Racer's mount in the eponymous Wachowski brothers film.

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