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From Japan’s leading car maker comes a hybrid that breaks the mould of conventional hybrids with a car that could just be a conventional comfortable regular four-door, four-seater – with a lot of great looks added.
The Toyota Hybrid X concept car has just been exhibited in the Geneva Auto Show this year. It is 4,500 mm long, 1,440 mm high and 1,850 mm wide, pretty much any conventional family car’s dimensions. The seats are space saving and are light as they have injected foam inside.
To make the ride even more comfortable in Hybrid X, the back seats are independent and are made to allow swiveling of up to 12 degrees so the passengers at the back can talk more comfortably. The large glass area makes the concept of open-space very appealing.
The smooth surface lines melding into the rear spoiler make for an aerodynamic appearance. The doors are rear-hinged and electronically operated. The headlights too, are a part of the interior of the car, leaving the exterior with smooth, unbroken lines. These are LED lamps and they can interact with pedestrians through animation to communicate safety information.
Inside, more LED lights means you can set the lighting to what you want. In fact, the lights change with the music and a perfume diffuser means that your senses of sight, smell, hearing and touch are pampered.
The Toyota Hybrid X happens to be Toyota’s thrust in the area of sustainable mobility for the whole family. This is probably a great stride in environmental friendly motoring and it also edges closer to zero emissions without the bubble-like small look of the conventional hybrid or electric car.
The Toyota Hybrid X, designed at Toyota’s ED or style center in the south of France, suddenly lifts hybrids to a new plane. There are two core Toyota values that the car adheres to – they are Vibrant Clarity and the J-Factor. The latter is the acceptance of Japanese design and form – whether locally or internationally and Vibrant Clarity is how the J-Factor is expressed.
So while the designs will be original, they will also have to be in identified as coming from the Toyota stables. As interior designer Laurent Bouzige comments: ‘There is a formal style in the shape of the vehicle and the material used but every other reaction is linked to the passengers' senses of sound, smell, sight and touch through interactive ambience.’ He calls the Hybrid X a multi-sensory experience. Well, add ergonomically designed and you'll see what a winner this car is.
The tires on the Hybrid X are 225/40 R20 with 20” alloy wheels which are customized. The steering is drive-by-wire and there is a lot of information available to you – like fuel consumption, energy flow and gear position.
The Toyota Hybrid X has Bluetooth connectivity as well as interactive navigation. The vehicle uses the ‘hybrid synergy drive system’ which Toyota also uses in its Lexus and Prius hybrid models. This combines the best of a parallel hybrid system with a series hybrid system.