From personal off-roaders to all-electric microcars, JMS 2023 had something for everyone

Read on for our second round-up of news and innovations from the first Japan Mobility Show, held in Tokyo in October 2023. Click here for part one.

Mazda: exploring the future of EV performance

In addition to a light upgrade of the evergreen Mazda MX-5, the company also showed a concept sports car, the ICONIC SP, that blends the best bits of the MX-5 and the old RX-7.

Mazda.com

Mazda ICONIC SP Concept

At the core of the ICONIC SP is Mazda’s rotary EV system powertrain. The company is alone in persisting with the rotary engine approach, first using the idiosyncratic power plant at the heart of its RX series of performance focused cars and then turning it into a generator to charge the battery of the MX-30 R-EV plug-in hybrid.

With the ICONIC SP, Mazda believes it has found a new application for the tech, with a centrally mounted engine with the ability to burn a number of different fuels, including hydrogen. As with the hybrid MX-30, the engine charges the battery, meaning that renewable-derived fuels could make this a truly carbon neutral machine. The elegant styling is a departure from the MX-5’s traditional cabrio format, implying that any future compact sports car might have to grow in scale.

Daihatsu: scaling down with style

Best known for their commitment to Japan’s kei class of compact city cars, Daihatsu revealed a number of diminutive drives to prove that Japan’s car culture is still going against the grain of maximalisation.

Daihatsu.com

Daihatsu Me:MO Concept

The Me:MO is a ‘mini passenger’ vehicle, built around a modular structure that allows for interchangeable interior and exterior parts. This is intended to allow the car to be transformed throughout its ownership, adapting to different life stages.

Daihatsu OSANPO Concept

This tiny electric convertible is all about fun, not fury. Daihatsu is pushing ‘relaxed enjoyment’ here, offering a slightly higher ride height than most two-seaters, creating an experience that ‘as if you’re talking a walk through nature.’ This unhurried attitude presumably extends to the OSANPO’s performance; this is a car that’s about ‘creating a slower value in your daily life’.

Daihatsu VISION COPEN Concept

The VISION COPEN will look familiar to fans of the Kei car aesthetic. Drawing on the first-generation Daihatsu Copen from 2002, this is a traditional petrol-powered compact sports car with an electrically operated roof and a focus on the fun of driving.

Mitsubishi: intelligent, zero-emission off-roading and more

Mitsubishi Motors placed an emphasis on adventure, exhibiting chunky new pick-up concepts and a sleek looking off-road minivan, the D:X. It also showed its interpretation of a go-anywhere personal transportation concept.

Mitsubishi-Motors.com

MITSUBISHI D:X Concept

This Electrified Crossover MPV concept is a mix between a traditional off-roader and a minivan, building on the success of Mitsubishi’s long-running Delica range of vans and trucks. The D:X celebrates 55 years since the debut of the original Delica van but it has much more in common with the four-wheel variants that arrived in the 80s and continue to be cult cars. The concept is fully electrified, with a flexible interior that contains up to seven seats.

Mitsubishi Last 1 Mile Mobility

The other end of the spectrum is this animalistic compact mobility system, a single seater designed as cross between an all-terrain wheelchair and a go-anywhere personal transport system. Developed in collaboration with robotics and mobility specialists LIFEHUB, the Last 1 Mile Mobility ‘encourages the adventurous spirit of drivers,’ according to the company, providing the apparently essential last mile of transportation that features in so much thinking about integrated transit systems.

Subaru: from land to air

Perhaps hoping to break out of its long-established niche as a purveyor of safe but sober crossovers and SUVs, Subaru chose to take to the racetrack and the skies at the JMS, with a conceptual sports car and a futuristic passenger drone. 

Subaru.com

Subaru Sport Mobility Concept

This Sport Mobility Concept adopts a high-riding, more rugged approach to the electric sports car of the future, one of several performance EV concepts at the show. However, although Subaru has past form in making eccentric sports cars, there’s no indication of a production future for this tough-looking machine.

Subaru Air Mobility Concept

Four wheels were paired with five rotors on the Subaru stand, with the company’s Air Mobility Concept going on display. This two-seater air taxi concept is reportedly undergoing trials; it’s notable for the car-like elements that have crept into the design language, like the front grille and streamlined passenger compartment.

Suzuki: Exploring the full scope of electric mobility

Suzuki’s booth ranged widely across every aspect of mobility, from compact commercial vehicles to delivery robots, motorised wheelchairs and cargo bikes, a new look at the company’s best-selling Swift, and even an eVTOL concept. 

GlobalSuzuki.com

Suzuki eWX Concept

First up is this ultra-compact mini wagon EV, an evolution of the cheap and cheerful models that the company sells around the world, like the current S-PRESSO. Deliberately fun and friendly, the eWX exudes a characterful simplicity as well as a straightforward, no-nonsense functionalism. Suzuki suggests a modest range of around 230km (142 miles). 

Suzuki MOQBA Concept

The MOQBA is described as ‘next-generation four-leg mobility’, a platform for navigation tricky terrain and even climb steps. The four ‘legs’ form a base platform that can be mated to three different attachments, chair mode, standing mode, and stretcher mode, implying a wealth of possible applications from search and rescue through to general mobility aid. 

Suzuki SkyDrive Concept

The SkyDrive concept is a flying car developing in collaboration with SkyDrive. Shown as a 1/5 scale model at the show, the company’s ambition is to start production of this multi-rotor machine in Spring 2024. A cross between a drone and a helicopter, the SkyDrive is a practical-looking air taxi that could be one of the first passenger-carrying models on the market.  

Japan-Mobility-Show.com

Part one of our JMS 2023 coverage