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The Frankfurt Motor Show is barely over and already the industry is gearing up for the Tokyo Motor Show, where Honda is displaying its latest CR-Z Concept.
The CR-Z Concept 2009 is the most recent prototype of Honda’s hybrid sports coupe. The production version goes on sale in the UK next summer 2010, when it will be the world’s first hybrid sports car, and the first ever petrol-electric vehicle to employ a 6-speed manual transmission.
Honda’s stand will also feature another hybrid and an electric concept.
The EV-N is a small, 4-seater battery electric vehicle, inspired by the N360, Honda's 360cc micro car launched in the 1960s. It features solar panels in the roof, which could be used to charge the on-board battery. The EV-N is purely a design study and there are no plans for production.
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The show will also mark the debut of the Skydeck concept, an innovative 6-seater hybrid MPV. This is still a design study, but is an example of how Honda’s IMA technology can be placed in a range of different cars for different needs.To give the Skydeck the practicality of a conventional MPV, many of the hybrid system components – including the battery – are housed in the car’s centre tunnel (rather than behind the rear seats or under the floor, as with previous production hybrids). This allows for greater cabin space, and room for three rows of two seats. It also gives a lower centre of gravity.
The Tokyo Motor Show will take place from October 24 to November 4.
