Kenzie at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show

CHIBA, Japan–This was the Tokyo Motor Show that almost didn't happen.

Earlier this year, carmakers from the U.S. and Germany backed out of the extravaganza that happens every two years, noting that ever-stricter marketing budgets couldn't embrace flogging cars in the Japanese car market – which suffered worse than most from the economic downturn.

Hyundai was the last major foreigner to abandon ship, cancelling its participation just three weeks prior to the show opening.

Following on the absence of several major manufacturers from this year's Detroit show (including Nissan, Mitsubishi, Suzuki, Ferrari and Porsche) and the cancellation of the 2010 British International Motor Show, this is leading some to believe that the "international auto show" is disappearing as a major marketing tool.

But Tokyo did happen, even if, as Honda CEO Takanobu Ito said, "It feels lonely'' without all the foreign competitors here.

Even the Japanese exhibits were smaller, more subdued, showing mainly new models and concepts, not the full product line as we have come to expect.

The theme was, in a (non)-word, "eco."

Every carmaker was stressing that it had the Right Idea when it came to more environmentally friendly means of personal mobility – anything to reduce the carbon dioxide in our atmosphere, which is supposed to be causing this climate change that we all seem to be experiencing.

No one seemed to know, or want to know, that the contribution to CO2 in our atmosphere attributable to personal transportation is something like 12 per cent in Canada, 14 per cent in the U.S., with similar figures likely in most industrialized countries.

Which means if we switched to non-internal combustion engines completely tomorrow, something like 86 to 88 per cent of the problem would continue to exist.

A couple of manufacturers were at least honest enough to admit that their battery-powered cars were for short-distance urban use only.

Which is why most of the more viable-looking electricity-enhanced vehicles are hybrids, with a growing interest in plug-ins, which can take advantage of household electricity, which is (at least temporarily and in some markets) relatively cheap, or so-called "range-extender" vehicles, with an on-board liquid fuel engine to recharge the battery on the go.

Here are the highlights of Tokyo 2009:

HONDA

The big news here is that the pretty CR-Z two-door hatchback officially will make it into production, starting next year. Tokyo had a four-seater car. The one to be sold in North America will be a two-seater, powered by Honda's IMA hybrid powertrain.

Less happily, there seems little chance we'll get what is probably the best-looking car in the entire show, the Skydeck. Why wouldn't anyone in North America want something as great-looking and practical as this gorgeous wagon? It also sports a hybrid drivetrain.

Honda also introduced the "Hello!'' family – standing for "Honda ELectric mobility LOop'' (they had to stretch pretty far to make that acronym work) – consisting of a tiny electric city car (EV-N) that looks like the old Innocenti Mini; a battery-powered motorcycle (EV-Cub); an electric wheelchair (EV-MONPAL); a sort-of unicycle Segway (U3-X) that I expect to test out in a day or two; and the most likely looking of the lot, a fuel-cell sedan (FCX Clarity).

Honda also showed a bunch of motorcycles, with a wheel in the front, a wheel in the back and an engine in the middle. Stop the presses.

MAZDA

Mazda revealed much of its future product and technology strategy at a media event in California a couple of months ago. The quite logical multi-step plan starts with improvements to existing gasoline and diesel engines and transmission technology, aimed at achieving a 30 per cent reduction in fuel consumption across the model range by 2015.

The plan then takes Mazda to the Kiyora concept, which shows what the next Mazda3 might look like, incorporating lightweight materials and adding tidbits like idle-stop and regenerative braking.

The final step, so far, might be the Premacy (our Mazda5) hybrid with a hydrogen-fuelled Wankel engine linked to an electric motor.

MITSUBISHI

Mitsu actually has electric cars running already, with about 600 i-MiEV subcompacts having been leased to various organizations in Japan (and even Vancouver) since the summer, with other right-hand drive nations to follow (including private customers) and further European markets by the end of 2010.

At Tokyo, Mitsu has added an i-MiEV Cargo, which is pretty much what you'd expect: a tall box grafted on the back, making it ideal for light inner-city deliveries.

NISSAN

Nissan appears the most aggressive of the Japanese carmakers – any carmakers – with respect to battery-powered cars. CEO Carlos Ghosn claims that electrics will make up 10 per cent of the global car market by 2020, a much higher number than just about anybody else believes.

To this end, Nissan showed the production version of the compact (by our standards) five-passenger Leaf, intended to be the first volume-produced electric, starting in late 2010 and reaching full production by 2012.

To counter concerns about the recyclability of the lithium-ion batteries, Nissan announced a joint venture with the Sumitomo Corp. the day before the Tokyo press day, which would create a secondary market for used car batteries.

Nissan says the batteries would still have about 70 per cent of their capacity left after 10 years of operation, not sufficient to handle the onerous duties of a car but enough to be used in other less demanding applications, such as solar power storage.

Still on the fanciful side, Nissan showed the battery-powered Land Glider, sort of a four-wheel motorcycle that leans into the turns. (Mercedes-Benz showed a similar concept called the F 300 in 1997; it hasn't been heard from since.)

Much closer to reality is the Fuga mid-size sedan (our Infiniti M), which launches soon in Japan, with a Nissan-developed hybrid powertrain to be added late next year.

SUBARU

Subaru continues to stay with its symmetrical four-wheel-drive system based upon the boxer horizontally opposed engine family, a concept whose logic seems to escape everyone else except Porsche.

The highlight of its stand, and one of the prettiest cars in the show, is its Hybrid Tourer Concept. Apart from the pair of swing-up gullwing doors, this looks fairly close to production-ready, and you'd think it would give Toyota Venza and Nissan Murano a bit of a go.

The 2.0 L direct-injection turbo motor is mated to a hybrid system featuring electric motors in both axles, which engage as needed to optimize efficiency and driving performance.

A new version of the hot Impreza WRX STi called Carbon uses (aw, you guessed) a carbon-fibre roof panel, which, as with a couple of BMW models, reduces weight and lowers the centre of gravity for improved performance and handling.

SUZUKI

Suzuki has been one of the very few carmakers that has succeeded by building only small cars. Indeed, "Small cars for a big future'' is the theme for its stand this year.

A new Alto "concept" – in reality, the next generation of one of Japan's perennial sales leaders – represents the true immediate future.

Gradual electrification of the various product lines is seen in the plug-in hybrid Swift, the SX4 fuel-cell vehicle, and even a fuel-cell-powered wheelchair called, somewhat preciously, Seniorcar.

But even Suzuki wants/needs to get into larger, higher-margin cars, hence the mid-size Kizashi (where do they come up with these names?) that also goes on sale in North America later this year.

TOYOTA/DAIHATSU

Even mighty Toyota has suffered in this economic downturn, but it's hardly hiding under the bed.

At the thrifty end of its range comes a series of whimsical Daihatsus, including the Mini Moke-like Basket and the multi-purpose (and multi-named) Deca Deca van.

The e:S (pronounced "eess'' by Daihatsu officials) uses conventional gasoline engine technology (a three-cylinder of 660 cc displacement), idle-shut-off and light weight to achieve outstanding fuel efficiency.

The Toyota brand's top eye-catcher was the FT-86 concept, which looks like it could and definitely should be the next Celica, returning it to its roots with a rear-drive chassis.

The long-awaited plug-in Prius broke cover, as did the FT-EV II, an urban electric microcar, which surely will take on Mitsu's i-MiEV and Nissan's Leaf in that market niche.

But the biggest news from The Toy Store was the introduction of the near-production version of the oft-concepted Lexus LFA, Toyota's supercar, which will go into limited production (500 units) at a stunning price of $375,000 (U.S.).

The largely carbon-fibre body brings the weight down to Corvette levels, and the 552 hp V10 engine gives it Nissan GT-R-like performance.

 

But by most showgoers' accounts, Toyota's own FT-86 (at less than a tenth the LFA's sticker) is the better-looking car.

If I were Toyota, I wouldn't bank those LFA profits just yet.

jim@jimkenzie.com Share your thoughts with other Wheels readers at wheels@thestar.ca

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