Japanese Cars to Look For at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show

It’s finally here. The 2013 Geneva Motor Show opens its doors to the press tomorrow morning, and it’s not just about the LaFerrari and McLaren P1 hypercars. Over the past couple months we’ve reviewed several of the most highly anticipated Japanese cars that will make their debut in Geneva. Today we’re going to wrap up the previews with a summary of which cars and concepts you should look out for over the coming weeks as automakers unleash their newest innovations at the Swiss auto salon.

Honda Civic Tourer Concept

We’ve already seen official pictures of the new Honda Civic Tourer station wagon concept, but that doesn’t mean we can’t get excited about it. Honda’s new wagon is aimed at the Volkswagen Golf Variant and will only be sold in Europe (at least to start). US drivers will have to be content with the Honda Fit hatchback for the time being.

With any luck we’ll get a glimpse of the Tourer’s interior at Geneva, since that will be a big part of this car’s success (or failure).

Honda will also bring its NSX concept to Geneva, but that’s an old horse we’ve seen before. The slight tweaks will be interesting, but with no promise of a production date it just feels meaningless.

Toyota i-Road Concept

We’ve already talked about the Toyota i-Road concept, but the more we learn about it the more excited we get. I think everyone is curious to see what this concept looks like in the metal. Just check out the pictures Toyota released earlier this week to whet your appetite.

The i-Road looks entirely unprecedented and extremely innovative. The closest thing we’ve seen to it is probably Nissan’s Mobility Concept.

The three-wheeled concept apparently has a miniscule driving range of 30 miles, but it can be charged in just three hours from a normal outlet. Toyota says it’s intended to be used in conjunction with public transportation, or for very close-range errands.

Subaru VIZIV Concept

This is one of the Japanese made concepts that we know the least about. All we’ve seen is one mysterious picture of this new Subaru concept. What we do know, however, is that the VIZIV will demonstrate the future direction of Subaru’s design and technology. You’ll definitely want to stay tuned for more information on this one.

Mitsubishi CA-MiEV and GR-HEV Concept

Everything we know about these two new vehicles from Mitsubishi is taken from unofficial sources and leaked photos. The Mitsubishi CA-MiEV is apparently an electric crossover, while the GR-HEV is a diesel-electric hybrid pickup. Both are said to employ a new electric motor system capable of wireless charging and regenerative braking.

Other than that, we don’t know very much about either of these two fuel-efficient concepts from Mitsubishi. But, I think we’re all excited to learn more.

Stay Tuned!

As you can see, there are more than a few Japanese cars to get excited about at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show. We haven’t even touched on the new Suzuki Crossover concept, the Toyota FT-86 Open concept or the new Nissan Note. Plus, there are some other goodies making a return after their debut at the Detroit Auto Show earlier this year, such as the Infiniti Q50. Stay tuned to our blog over the next couple weeks for coverage of these Japanese cars and more.