Recreational vehicles star at motor show
By Russell Williamson
TOKYO: The Japanese love affair with practical, recreational vehicles (RV) shows no sign of fading, with the 32nd Tokyo Motor Show dominated by one-box models.
Conventional sedans and hatches were almost forgotten, with most carmakers not even bothering to show their once-mainstream models.
The Daihatsu Charade and Nissan Pulsar, for example, were nowhere to be found.
If it wasn't a mini people mover, off-roader or wagon, it wasn't on the pace.
And no wonder, with recreational vehicle sales jumping from less than 30 percent of the overall market two years ago to more than 50 percent today.
This sales growth is expected to continue with carmakers expecting RVs to grab more share by 2000, with the race on to plug every conceivable niche in the market before the RV love affair fades.
Toyota's LandCruiser, one of Toyota's best-selling 4WDs in foreign markets, has been updated, with the new model being slightly bigger than the vehicle it replaces.
It features slightly more rounded styling but retains the same petrol and diesel six-cylinder power plants. A V8 version is also available.
Toyota will also produce a Lexus version of the LandCruiser priced about US$70,000 and it will appear in April with a 4.7- liter V8.
Importantly for Asian markets, Suzuki revealed a new Vitara and Sierra. Both vehicles are due out early next year.
The slightly bigger Vitara will be offered with 2.0-liter, four-cylinder and 2.5-liter, V6 power. The 1.3-liter Sierra gets automatic transmission for the first time.
Honda showed four concepts under the J-Mover banner with the small Daihatsu-Terios-like off-roader and baby sports car.
But it was the sheer volume of RVs that will flood the Japanese domestic market over the coming years that dominated the show, at least in sheer numbers.
It is these vehicles that also have Indonesian buyers queuing up for a slice of RV action.
Makers such as Suzuki and Daihatsu rolled out a gaggle of these vehicles, including the Daihatsu Naked, which is "waiting for customers to choose color and detailing", hence the name. It may look like a baby 4WD, but it only gets two-wheel drive.
Suzuki rolled out the box on wheels concepts with the UW-1 mini people mover and CT-1 battery-powered delivery van complete with a roller door on the side of the minivehicle.
Nissan showed the Stylish 6, an upmarket wagon complete with TV screens mounted on the back of four of its six seats.
This luxury wagon had CVT automatic transmission and featured hybrid power with its direct injection six-cylinder V6 mated to an electric motor. Nissan claims this combination can reduce fuel consumption by as much as 50 percent.
Hybrid power systems were featured on almost every show car.
Nissan also revealed a new production model, the R'nessa, which is taller than your average wagon. It shares some components with the Maxima. Exports are planned for the United States next year. It uses 2.0-liter engines in Japan.
If you were wondering, R'nessa stands for "packing renaissance for versatile, spacious comfort on wheels".
Nissan also joined the "box" class with the Pulsar-sized Cube -- a bit like a large Mazda 121 Metro -- and AL-X people mover, complete with aluminum frame and direct-injection petrol power. It is expected to go on sale next year in Japan.
Japan may be in love with RVs but sports car were not ignored, although the big, heavy high-tech models of the late 1980s have been left well behind.
Small, high, more practical models, offering value and more "smiles per miles" were shown by Daihatsu, Suzuki, Honda and Toyota.
Toyota displayed the midengined MR-S the new Mazda MX-5 and MGF.
Suzuki's 1.6-liter V8 C2 is also likely for some foreign markets.
Daihatsu's FR-X two-plus-two coupe at this stage is not expected to go into production.
Honda's J-VX sports car will replace the CRX, which has failed to ignite sales in many markets.