The term is dreaded, overused to the point of meaningless ubiquity. But in the process of meandering (and sometimes half-jogging) a literal five miles around the Big Sight convention center in an effort to take in all the manufacturer unveilings,I could not help but detect a certain, ahem, vibe at the bi-annual event that used to be called the Tokyo Motor Show.
Actually, given that the two years since the last iteration of the Japanese vehicular conclave have been more than moderately tumultuous for the global auto industry, a variety of seemingly contravening vibes. The 2023 edition of the Japan Mobility Show was an electric-vehicle tour de force; every brand there put on a big show of declaring that Japan Inc. would no longer pace behind Tesla, China’s automakers, and even American brands at EV tech and software. Soon, they said, they would get back to where they belonged.
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Source: Nissan
But the EV market has shifted tremendously since then. And an auto sector that’s always been happy to prioritize gas engines and hybrids over EVs is having a bit of an “I told you so” moment—just not without a keen awareness that it’s still got a ways to go on battery power, software, autonomy and, well, “mobility.”
I listened carefully to executives, quizzed designers and engineers, ran my hands inappropriately along fenders and interiors, and took copious notes. While it’s all still fresh in my Notes app, I’m going to bring them to you, in no particular order. If you still have questions, feel free to ask away in the comments and I’ll do my best to reply.
Avoiding the ‘Affordable EV’ Paradigm
Americans, or at least American automotive journalists, seem preoccupied with the quest for the affordable EV. This is understandable, since EVs are pricier than gasoline cars—even more so now that the Trump administration has declared an asinine war on alternative energy—and cost is a barrier to adoption.
But this conversation was not very robust in Japan, and certainly not so when directed at the U.S. market. To wit, Honda showed a pair of relatively low-cost electric concepts—the compact-ish 0 Alpha SUV, and the boxy box-flared kei-ish Super-ONE. But the first is aimed solely at India and Japan, and the latter is a JDM-only special. I can’t think of a single vehicle I saw that pushed this idea in a package designed for the States.
The Honda Super One is a Japan-only Kei EV.
Photo by: Honda
The lone exception may be this flashy, next-generation Corolla. But even that’s going to hedge its bets with gas, hybrid and EV power whenever it debuts for real, including in America. There’s no Japanese version of the Volkswagen ID. Polo or Kia EV3 to be found here.
Powertrain Agnosticism—Or Evasion
In the same way that puppets often don’t have a sexuality, concept cars often don’t have powertrains. They don’t drive. They don’t exist in the real world. They are evanescent dreams of a future that will likely never arrive. But sometimes a propulsive direction is implied in a concept’s design.
Not so much in this year’s slew of reveals. Toyota, Lexus, Honda, and Mazda reps all claimed that they had no clear idea, yet, what fuel source might motivate most of the vehicles they unveiled.
Toyota won’t say what powers this Century concept.
Photo by: Toyota
Moreover, their answers ranged from the incredulously imaginary (Mazda’s algae-fueled carbon-capturing rotary engine) to the uncertain (Honda’s choice of battery chemistry for its 0 Series line), to the shruggingly evasive (what might motivate Toyota’s new Century One-of-One coupe, or its Lexus Sport supercar). Perhaps things will become clearer in time, but it seems as though things are only becoming more muddled.
Toyota at the 2025 Japan Mobility Show
Photo by: Motor1.com Deutschland
Bunkerization
When the world gets uncertain, as it is right now, design tends to embrace the brutal, at least in its external presentation. This was reflected in the designs of the Lexus LS Van and Single Seat concepts, the Century One-of-One coupe, and Mazda’s stylishly swoopy Vision X Coupe, all of which, like a fortress, mostly lacked side windows.
The future apparently won’t be very easy to see out of.
Photo by: Motor1.com Deutschland
All also offered an almost antithetically contrasting interior, a sanctuary of radiant warmth not communicated on the outside. Holding yourself and your loved ones close, these vehicles presented as cold and hard without, but cossetting within.
No Single Answer
If there was any doubt that this is no longer a motor show, manufacturers showed off an often-bizarre range of two-, three-, and four-wheeled vehicles, as well as no-wheeled ones, rocket-powered ones, ones with flopping roach-like legs, and ones with rotor wings. My favorite may have been Toyota’s KidsMobi concept, an autonomous, blinking, bubble-like stroller, for all those times when your baby needs to get to and from the 7-11 on its own.
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Source: Motor1.com Deutschland
Likewise, I appreciate that Lexus introduced five different projections of what its next flagship might be, including a six-wheeled van, a safari’d jacked-up four-door coupe, a two-door supercar, an EVTOL, and (wait for it) a catamaran. May as well hedge your bets.
Beauty
This may have been my favorite category, especially given the fact that there were some decidedly fugly cars—I am looking at (away from) you, Subaru Performance-E STi, which looked like it was in the late and protuberant stages of an infection named in its suffix. (Editor’s note: I liked it, but I am sure that in tried-and-true Subaru fashion, the production one will be 10% as cool. —PG)
Subaru Performance-E STI Concept (2025) at the 2025 Japan Mobility Show
Photo by: Motor1.com Deutschland
Thankfully, there were better examples of design in action. Mazda’s elegant four-door Vision X coupe looked almost Aston Martin-esque in its honed surfacing. The Lexus Sport Concept appeared shrink-wrapped around itself. The Century One-of-One coupe had a fiery drama and exquisite proportions, masking, while underscoring, its immensity.
And the Honda 0 Saloon continues to amaze for its ability to reinvent the electric sedan category as something profoundly diffident, and angular, yet elegant. We all need more beauty in our lives.
Photo by: InsideEVs
Brett Berk is a freelance automotive writer based in New York. He has driven and reviewed thousands of cars for Car and Driver and Road & Track, where he is a contributing editor. He has also written for Architectural Digest, Billboard, ELLE Decor, Esquire, GQ, Travel + Leisure and Vanity Fair.
