This year’s Japan Mobility Show proves there’s still plenty of life left on the auto show circuit. The biennial event brought out dozens of new cars, concepts – and even a rocket – during its media preview. Headlight.News was in Tokyo and takes a look at some of the most significant products to debut there.
It’s become something of conventional wisdom that auto shows are a dying breed. And there’s certainly evidence to support that, what with the demise of both the Geneva and Frankfurt Motor Shows. Many observers seemed ready to write off the biennial Tokyo Motor Show, as well. But, what’s now called the Japan Mobility Show was a solid success, at least based on what we saw at the event’s media preview last week.
There’s little doubt Toyota Motor Corp. was the standout manufacturer, rolling out a variety of different products, including a concept expected to become the next-generation Corolla sedan. But it also debuted the new Century brand which, said Chairman Akio Toyoda, will go up against ultra-exclusive marques like Bentley and Rolls=Royce. And we got a look at an assortment of models that could replace the aging Lexus LS.
Japanese manufacturers, as always, dominated the event, with strong showings by Honda, Nissan, Subaru and even little Daihatsu. But foreign makers weren’t entirely absent, with BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Hyundai on hand. Even BYD, the upstart Chinese automaker rapidly gaining momentum around the world, was there to show off its wares. Here’s a look at some of the most significant debuts at the 2025 Japan Mobility Show.
Century Sedan
Toyota has proved it can compete with Western luxury brands like BMW, Cadillac and Mercedes-Benz. Now, however, it wants to take things to a decidedly more exclusive level. The industry giant officially pulled the wraps off the new Century brand at this week’s Japan Mobility Show, taking aim at two of the world’s most vaunted automotive marques, Bentley and Rolls-Royce. Two new models are planned: with an exotic four-door coupe featuring sliding doors and 60 layers of paint making its debut in concept form at the Tokyo show. It will be followed by a super-premium SUV. Initial plans call for Century to be sold only in Japan but Toyota officials suggest it could expand to other markets if it connects with buyers.
Toyota Corolla Concept
Toyota Corolla has long been the world’s best-selling automobile. But times are changing. Sedans no longer command the market. And Toyota needs to make some major changes to keep Corolla from fading into oblivion, like so many other passenger cars. Officially, the sleek sedan that debuted in Tokyo last week is being billed as a “concept. But the 13th-generation Corolla isn’t expected to stray very far from this unexpectedly expressive design, a radical departure from anything we’ve seen before bearing the Corolla badge. As for powertrain technologies, Toyota CEO Koji Sato hinted we could see a variety of options, perhaps even a PHEV or EV package. What’s more certain? A 1.5-liter hybrid and a 2.0-liter gas package.
Honda Drops a Pair of EVs
The Honda 0 α – or “Alpha,” will become the third entry into the automaker’s new 0 Series EV family. The Honda Super-ONE, meanwhile, is a compact hatchback which, the automaker said, is designed to “pursue the ‘fun of driving,” Unfortunately for American EV fans, neither of the two EVs are scheduled to make it into U.S. showrooms. Alpha is bound for India and possibly a few other markets, while the micro-sized Super-One is essentially a sporty take on Japan’s unique Kei car class. That said, Honda executives told Headlight.News we may see them make the jump across the Pacific in modified form at a later date.
Mazda Offers a “Vision” of the Future
Concept vehicles often provide a vision of the future and that’s doubly true at the Mazda stand, the Hiroshima automaker dropping two intriguing show cars: the Vision X-Coupe and Vision X-Compact. The former model is slightly larger than a Mazda6 sedan and adopts the latest take on the Mazda Kodo design language. But what stands out is what we didn’t actually see: a plug-in hybrid drivetrain using a Wankel rotary engine to extend range after the 100-mile battery pack is exhausted. The X-Concept also introduces a potentially breakthrough system meant to capture CO2 from the engine, storing it until it can later be sequestered. As for the Vision X-Concept, it’s a high-tech microcar about the size of a Fiat 500 EV.
Lexus LS Concepts
Toyota’s luxury brand recently announced plans to end production of its flagship LS sedan this year. In Tokyo, however, the automaker offered an assortment of concepts that could serve as a replacement. Make that replacements. The LS Concept is a blocky, three-row van that changes the meaning of LS from “luxury sedan” to “luxury space,” explained Ian Cartabiano, president of Toyota’s CALTY Design Research facility in California, adding it could have serious opportunities in Japan and China. For the U.S., however, the Lexus Coupe Concept seems more likely. It’s really a coupe-like 4-door that offers a new take on traditional Lexus design – using lighting accents to simulate the brand’s familiar spindle grille. The coupe, noted Cartabiano, offers substantially more room in all dimensions compared to today’s LS sedan.
Mitsubishi Elevance Concept
The long-struggling brand is pushing to reestablish itself as a serious option and the Elevance Concept suggests some of the upcoming products it’s working up under its Momentum 2030 revival plan. Significantly, it appears to offer a glimpse of the “all-new…off-road-focused” version of its Outlander SUV Mitsubishi last month said it will be bringing to the U.S. market next year. As often happens with concept vehicles, there’ll be some notable revisions by the time production begins. The glass doors are certainly not designed for real-world applications. But the overall shape is apparently near production-ready. And Elevance’s plug-in hybrid drivetrain should be offered to consumers, as well.
Subaru Offers Two Takes on a New STI
It’s long been expected Subaru will bring back the STI performance badge it abandoned in 2023. And its CEO did everything but confirm a production package is coming – but left us guessing which of two show cars that will be based on. Subaru was late to enter the EV market but the Performance-E package suggests it is quite serious about battery-electric technology. And that makes sense considering the incredible, wheel-spinning torque electric motors can deliver. On the other hand, Subaru could opt to base the next STI on the familiar boxer engine technology shown in Tokyo powering the Performance-B concept. The -E is the more exotic looking of the two, the -B opting for a more classic Subaru design. We hope to learn which way the automaker actually plans to go sometime in 2026.
Chinese Automaker BYD Invades Japan
Until recently, foreign manufacturers dominated the Chinse market. No longer. Domestic brands have rapidly gained control – even as they’ve grown exports about 750% since the beginning of the decade. BYD is one of the dominant players, both in China and in the Chinese export world – and it’s determined to be the first to make serious dent in the Japanese market. Short for “Build Your Dreams,” the automaker had a significant presence at the Japan Mobility Show with several products on display, including the compact Sealion 6 SUV, as well as the little Racco. The latter model is particularly significant because it’s the first model targeting the super-mini “Kei” segment developed outside Japan – and goes up against brands like Honda, Suzuki, Nissan and Daihatsu.
Hyundai Insteroid Concept
One thing was always true at the Tokyo Motor Show – and now the Japan Mobility Show: we could always count on an assortment of wacky concept vehicles. Hyundai certainly set the benchmark this year with its Insteroid Concept. The bizarre design looks more like it emerged from the mind of a Red Bull-fueled gamer’s imagination than a traditional automotive styling studio, with its bold red nose, asymmetric wheels and huge rear fenders. It’s clearly intended for racing, with its rear diffuser, wing spoiler and built-in roll cage. We’d be surprised to see anything like that ever land in Hyundai showrooms. But it’s be great fun to take it for a spin on our gaming computer.
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