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By Samuel Ee
THE foreign carmakers are back but the glamour and prestige for this year's Tokyo motor show seems to have been dialled back a notch or two.
The 42nd Tokyo Motor Show 2011 feels subdued compared with previous years. Numerous concept cars herald the next generation of clean and green technology but otherwise, there are few new real-world production cars for visitors to drool over.
The show returns to Tokyo after 24 years, to the Tokyo Big Sight exhibition centre from the faraway Makuhari Messe in Chiba city. Since the series began in 1954, Tokyo has been one of the world's most important auto shows.
But the last instalment in 2009 turned frighteningly quiet during the global economic slump.
Together with the realities of a shrinking domestic market, international carmakers decided to skip the 41st edition, leaving only three obscure foreign brands to turn up then.
They are back this year, though, for an event which is now held in a smaller but more accessible venue. The show began this week, after its usual October opening date was pushed back due to the devastating March 11 tsunami's effect on vehicle production. As if to reflect the more sober times, the theme of this year's show is less fanciful and more understandable - "Mobility can change the world".
Still, Toyota strikes a whimsical note with life-sized models of the Doraemon cartoon character and its friends. Japan's juggernaut carmaker transforms the robot cat into French actor Jean Reno for its ReBorn theme to declare that the Japanese juggernaut is "Fun to Drive Again".
 One Toyota model that debuts is the Aqua compact hybrid hatchback. Called the Prius C in the Singapore market, this four-metre long five-seater car is powered by a small lightweight hybrid system combining a 1.5-litre petrol engine with a high-output electric motor.
The Aqua is practical and eco-friendly, but it is not as tantalising as a niche Toyota model like the GRMN sports hybrid concept roadster, which looks like a wilder and angrier version of a Porsche 911 Speedster.
For an idea of how subdued the show is, Nissan, the second-largest Japanese carmaker, has world debuts of a quirky electric vehicle concept and a commercial vehicle. The Nissan Pivo3 is a diminutive EV for a future city where parking lots have automatic valet systems, while the NV350 Caravan's best attribute is its enhanced load capacity.
Japan's No 3 carmaker Honda is showing the stylish AC-X plug-in hybrid concept with realistic four-door styling, as well as a wacky 2.5-metre long Micro Commuter Concept with a lithium-ion battery that is good for 60 km.
 In terms of production car excitement, though, there is only the N Box microvan. This mini-vehicle takes centrestage at the Honda stand, with one version outfitted with a rear retractable ramp for a wheelchair or mobility scooter.
It was left to Mazda to display the prettiest Japanese model at the show. The curvaceously sexy Takeri mid-size sedan features Mazda's new design direction and, although shown as a concept, it is rumoured to be the next Mazda6.
Like the Mazda CX-5 crossover, the Takeri embodies the company's Skyactiv Technology focusing on efficient high-compression engines, and lightweight and aerodynamic design.
As for the non-Japanese manufacturers, Volkswagen has the Passat Alltrack with an estate bodystyle that bridges the gap between the conventional Passat Estate and Tiguan SUV. At the Audi stand, the A1 gets two more doors to become the five-door A1 Sportback.
More than 179 manufacturers from 12 countries are at the show which ends on Dec 11.
This article was first published in The Business Times.
 
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