Japanese Brands to Make Forceful Showing in Paris

Concepts from Lexus and Nissan, a refreshed Honda CR-Z hybrid sport coupe, the production-version Toyota iQ electric vehicle and an all-new Mazda6 and are set to debut Sept. 27 at the Paris auto show.

Lexus will show its LF-CC that builds on the LF-LC concept sports car shown at January’s North American International Auto Show in Detroit. While company officials in the U.S. haven’t confirmed a production version of the car, Lexus says in a statement that the LF-CC is the precursor to a midsize coupe in the more accessible D-segment for the near future.

Industry speculation is that the LF-CC hints at the next-generation Lexus IS 2-door, due for a revision soon. Lexus describes the latest concept as “more compact” than the LF-LC, although no dimensions are given, and with rear-wheel drive and a full-hybrid powertrain.

Propelling the LF-CC is an all-new 2.5L Atkinson-cycle 4-cyl. gasoline engine, which Lexus says soon will launch in its model range. The engine is mated to a permanent-magnet electric motor that is water-cooled and compact.

Benefits of this powertrain are low carbon-dioxide emissions, with class-leading energy efficiency , Lexus says.

The Lexus family spindle grille gets the boldest treatment yet on the LF-CC, the luxury brand says, with the mesh encased in a deep, metal-finish surround, taking on a pronounced 3-D form. The rear bumper is full width and connects to the rear-wheel arches, a look that gives the LF-CC a “broad, powerful stance.”

Metallic finishes and amber-colored leather decorate the interior of the concept sports car. There are two zones: an upper display with a multi-information screen and a lower operational zone with the shift lever.

Nissan brings its urban-oriented TeRRA to Paris. The 4-wheel-drive cross/utility vehicle is powered by a hydrogen fuel cell. “Through the use of in-wheel motor technology, TeRRA is free of the packaging constraints that affect conventional (CUVs),” Nissan says in a statement.

“With no central transmission tunnel, the seating gives all four passengers a broad and unique view out of the vehicle. In addition, TeRRA introduces bold new surfacing materials and removable, portable technology for the driver display and infotainment systems.”

Nissan chief designer Shiro Nakamura says the vehicle incorporates the high beltline and thick pillars of CUVs but also has a slender waist and sculpted hood, all to create an implied structure of musculature under the skin.

Blond beechwood trim and colored acrylic decorate the interior of the TeRRA. An electronic tablet, when docked, acts as an intelligent key, displaying all the information common to vehicle cabins, such as engine speed. It also controls various functions, including radio and heating and air conditioning.

The TeRRA’s front wheels use the Nissan Leaf’s electric-propulsion system, while the rear wheels are driven by electric motors used by Nissan’s three PIVO concepts. The TeRRA’s hydrogen fuel-cell stack’s 2.5 kW/L is “world-leading power density,” the auto maker claims.

Nissan says the TeRRA is “purely a concept” but shows the auto maker will be ready for fuel-cell-electric vehicles when the market develops.

Also on Nissan’s Paris stand are refreshed versions of the 370Z roadster and coupe, now with LED daytime running lights incorporated in the front bumper; NV200 London and New York City taxis; Micra ELLE, a collaboration with ELLE magazine that brings a panoramic roof and chrome details to the minicar; and the Juke NISMO, with a revised chassis and modified 1.6L GDI engine from the base Juke.

Honda will unveil its refreshed CR-Z mild hybrid with exterior and interior styling updates, as well as more power from its gas engine and electric motor that don’t compromise fuel economy or emissions.

Honda also will debut the new 1.6L diesel engine for the Civic hatchback. The 118-hp Earth Dreams 1.6L i-DTEC, in models with 16-in. wheels, will achieve 65 mpg (3.6L/100 km) combined fuel economy and emit 94 g/km of CO2.

Honda’s new CR-V CUV will take a bow, and the EV-STER small electric sports car from last year’s Tokyo motor show will be on hand.

Toyota will debut its iQ EV. However, in an unusual move before a major auto show, the auto maker downplayed the car with a Sept. 24 announcement that the production model will have a smaller rollout than initially anticipated, as the company turns its attention to plug-in hybrids as the best future alternative-powertrain technology.

“Toyota has seen that many customers are not yet willing to compromise on range, and they don't like the time needed to recharge the batteries,” the auto maker says in a statement, also citing slower-than-expected charging-station installations as a factor in its decision.

The iQ EV concept uses an air-cooled 47-kW (63-hp) electric motor/generator and a flat, cabin-floor-mounted 277.5V, 12.0 kWh lithium-ion battery pack. An inverter, DC/DC converter and 3-kW water-cooled battery charger also are onboard the tiny concept car.

The iQ EV can be fully recharged in roughly three hours. With fast charging, the recharge time to 80% battery capacity is 15 minutes, Toyota says.

Toyota says the car’s new transaxle is ultra-compact and an EV exclusive, housing the motor/generator, planet-gear speed-reduction mechanism and torque-biasing differential. Torque is a maximum 120 lb.-ft. (163 Nm) and 0-62 mph (100 km/h) time is 14 seconds. The iQ EV’s maximum speed is 78 mph (125 km/h).

The iQ EV uses regenerative braking to recapture potentially lost energy and convert it to electricity that is stored in the car’s battery. Because the iQ is so small and can only accommodate a diminutive battery pack, Toyota engineers focused on improving power efficiency and reducing the weight of the car.

To counteract the weight of the battery pack, Toyota engineers used high-tensile sheet steel extensively in the body shell, bringing the EV’s total weight to 276 lbs. (125 kg) more than the standard 1.3L gas-engine iQ with a continuously variable transmission.

Mazda visits Paris with the global debut of the all-new Mazda6 wagon, following the world introduction of the new Mazda6 sedan at last month’s Moscow auto show. A lot is riding on the newest iteration of Mazda’s midsize sedan.

The current-generation model remains a low-volume competitor to the Toyota Camry, Honda Accord and Ford Fusion. Disappointing U.S. sales led Mazda to end production at the Flat Rock, MI, plant it shared with Ford.

In Europe, both the wagon and sedan versions of the new ’13 Mazda6 offer either the auto maker’s new Skyactiv-D 2.2L clean-diesel engine or direct-injected gasoline engines in 2.0L and 2.5L displacements.

Sales of the ’13 Mazda6 begin later this year in Europe.

[email protected]