For example, Toyota-owned premium brand Lexus will showcase a wild six-wheeler concept that reimagines its LS flagship limousine as a luxury minivan. A new LFA supercar could also be revealed. Toyota will also reveal more details of its new flagship Century brand, expanded from the current range-topping luxury model.
The Japanese have traditionally been strong in sports cars, and they will look to play on that in Tokyo, with Subaru’s new STi cars – one electric, one petrol – returning the brand to its rally glory days.
Also looking to leverage its once-formidable position as a tech leader, Honda will show a new electric SUV to add to its 0 Series of EVs.
Perhaps most relevant to the UK is the unveiling of a new Toyota Corolla concept, potentially showing the replacement of the model that’s built for Europe in Derbyshire. The new model will be offered as both a hybrid and an EV.
That would be a step in the right direction, because right now the biggest weakness of the Japanese remains in plug-in hybrid and electric drivetrains. That’s exactly where the Chinese have directed most of their development and consequently are cleaning up in sales.
In the UK in September, the Japanese share of the PHEV market dropped from 20% last year to just 9.7% after the Chinese captured a whopping 36%, up from almost nothing in 2024, led by the BYD Seal U and Jaecoo 7 SHS.
In the EV market meanwhile, the Chinese took a 18% share, compared with just 2.6% for the Japanese, down from almost 10% in September last year.
The Japanese remain dominant in the hybrid segment, with a 46% share, thanks to Toyota. But that number is down from 57%, because of the Chinese, who grabbed an 18% share in the month after MG expanded its hybrid line-up to three models.
The likes of Toyota, Nissan and Mazda and Suzuki are busy releasing new electric models in the UK and wider Europe region, but the delay is hitting the bottom line as the hit to CO2 emissions targets prevents them from maximising more profitable ICE car sales. Suzuki is a prime example of this, with sales in the UK down 31% in the year.
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