The Toyota ViRa is a new sporty crossover concept that will debut at the 2016 Tokyo Auto Salon, Japan’s largest aftermarket showcase.
The ViRA name is derived by combining Vitz, the Japanese name for what is known in the US as the Yaris, and the RAV4 mid-size crossover, even though it doesn’t look anything like either of them.
The ViRA is described as coupe styling with the practicality of an SUV and sports a tall ride height that sits somewhere between car and crossover. It boasts only two doors, a sloping roofline and plenty of curves. Judging by the renderings, it will likely be the size of the Mazda CX-3 compact crossover, a segment that Toyota has been notably absent from. No details about the drivetrain were provided, though TIC will also be showing a turbocharged Vitz.
Curiously, the ViRA built by Toyota Industries Corporation, a manufacturing subsidiary of Toyota Motor Corporation (the latter is the entity in question when we say Toyota). Toyota Industries Corporation builds the Vitz and RAV4, among other things such as industrial vehicles, engines, and automotive air conditioning compressors. Founded in 1926, it celebrates its 80th anniversary this year.
The ViRA will debut at the Tokyo Auto Salon, which opens January 15.
Leave a Reply