Toyota will be displaying four concept cars at the
2006 Geneva Motor Show when the doors are opened to the public in March. We've already seen the dubiously tagged
Toyota i-swing and
Fine-X at the
Tokyo Show last year, but making their world debuts will be the Urban Cruiser and Toyota Yaris T Sport.
Predictably, the latter will be an accurate preview of an upcoming hot hatch version of Toyota's new Yaris, itself just on sale across Europe. As the Yaris has grown, so too has its need for power. The T Sport version is fitted with Toyota's well known 1.8-litre four-pot, with the potential to develop 190bhp. Will Toyota really let this much power loose in the Yaris? It would monster the forthcoming
VW Polo GTi, not to mention a few other serious drivers' cars.
The Toyota Urban Cruiser is a concept in the traditional sense, with chunky SUV looks mated to a small footprint and a practical interior. The nose treatment is a little odd, looking a little like VW's New Beetle. The design was carried out by Toyota's European design studio, called ED
2.
Shane O' Donoghue - 8 Feb 2006