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THE Tokyo Motor Show has always been the time when the Japanese car makers come to town with some of their weirdest and wackiest concepts, most of which are destined never to see the light of day. But this year’s show was different, due to the fact that many of the designs we saw actually have production intent. Japanese car manufacturers, it seems, are showing more confidence in Japanese design. So I tip my hat to Toyota, who seemed determined to announce itself in Tokyo as a mobility solution provider rather than a car company. But the cars it did show – and those in showrooms already – have an increasing sense of style that we wouldn’t have expected just a few years ago. Then there’s Mitsubishi, still slightly over-obsessed…

Alex_Ingram@dennis.co.uk ● All-new eighth-generation Volkswagen Golf revealed in full ● Highlights include efficient engines and a cutting-edge cabin YOU wait years for a generation-defining Volkswagen launch, and then two come along at once. Less than two months after the reveal of the all-electric ID.3 (the car that points the way to the brand’s future) the brand-new Golf Mk8 has arrived. As with the model it replaces, this eighth generation of the iconic hatch will straddle the line between upmarket hatchbacks such as the BMW 1 Series and mainstream competition from the likes of the Ford Focus. Sales are due to begin in February next year, with first deliveries in April. From the outside, the biggest change comes at the front, where a low nose features a slimmer grille. It’s flanked…

BEFORE the new Golf was revealed, Auto Express was given an exclusive ride in the Mk8 hatch, alongside Head of Development, Frank Welsch. The first thing you notice is the great all-round visibility – despite the low seating position. The car embraces you; you feel integrated in the experience. “A Golf has to give you that ‘welcome home’ feeling,” says Welsch. The dashboard is dominated by the big central touchscreen, but Welsch assures us this is not tech for tech’s sake: “We haven’t simply digitalised the Golf. It must also be easy to operate.” Even in heavy traffic, Welsch can swipe around the menus and use voice control by saying “Hello, Volkswagen”. In fact, even things such as the head-up display are simple to adjust on the go. VW has…

James_Brodie@dennis.co.uk ● Hatch is revamped inside and out ● No pure-ICE models offered “The Jazz is the first Honda to use the new e:HEV twin-motor petrol hybrid powertrain” A FRESH Honda Jazz hatch is one of the biggest stories to come from this year’s Tokyo Motor Show. It’s due to go on sale early in 2020, riding on an all-new platform with a new two-motor e:HEV hybrid-drive set-up. The car’s styling inside and out is completely updated, and there’s a toughened-up SUV version, too. However, like the current car (right), this is still a supermini that apes MPVs, with a high roof and a large glasshouse for good visibility. At the front, you’ll spot larger headlamp units with integrated daytime running lights, a completely new grille and chunky bumpers. But…

ELSEWHERE at Honda, the Japanese manufacturer has confirmed it will launch two all-new models that have never been seen before by 2022. The first will be a new hybrid SUV, although Honda is remaining tight-lipped on exactly where the model will sit within its product portfolio. The obvious gap is at the top of the range, where the firm is without a direct rival for the likes of the Kia Sorento. Following the SUV will be the firm’s second, dedicated fully electric vehicle. It’s expected to be based on the same platform as the Honda e city car, which has been developed to accommodate compact bodystyles.…

Luke_Wilkinson@dennis.co.uk ● Concept previews electric SUV ● New platform for future EVs “The Ariya is a glimpse of a new electric SUV that will arrive in 2021” THIS is the Nissan Ariya, a fully electric crossover revealed at last week’s Tokyo Motor Show that will soon join the Leaf in the firm’s electric-vehicle line-up. Nissan has hinted at the possibility of a Qashqai-sized electric crossover for several years, and the Ariya concept is a glimpse of the car that will make its way into showrooms in 2021, as a rival for the Volkswagen ID.4. “The Ariya is very near to becoming true – the concept is very near to reality,” Ivan Espinosa, Nissan’s Corporate Vice President of Global Product Strategy, told Auto Express. The electric crossover is built on a…