Toyota to unveil second-generation Mirai in December

KUALA LUMPUR: After starting its electrification journey in 1997, Toyota rolled out its first production-spec hydrogen fuel-cell electric vehicle, the Mirai, in 2015. The only emission for Mirai is water as it runs fully on hydrogen. Later in 2019, the automaker decided to reboot the premium sedan and unveiled the second-generation Toyota Mirai concept featuring cutting-edge design, technology, and driving performance.

The latest update around the EV comes directly from Toyota’s official website, where the automaker dropped a teaser mentioning its debut in December. Although the exact date is not yet revealed.

The company also announced an event that will be held in Japan in the coming months. In this program, 32 people will be selected through a lottery who will get an early chance to ride the new Mirai. It will be organized at the GKN Proving Ground at Tochigi City on November 29 and at Spa Nishiura Motor Park in Gamagori City on December 6.

The new Mirai is based on Toyota’s premium rear-wheel-drive platform and features a refined coupe-inspired design. Dimensionally, it has become significantly larger; the length has increased from 4890 mm to 4975 mm, and the wheelbase also rises to 2920 mm from 2700 mm.

The next-gen Mirai’s interior capacity will be five people rather than the previous four; however, the architecture will be the same. Other significant changes observed in the concept include a bigger 12.3-inch touchscreen display, digital rearview mirror, a 14-speaker JBL sound system, wireless charger, and Toyota Safety Sense.

Nothing is being disclosed regarding the drivetrain so far, except that the sedan will now equip three hydrogen tanks in place of two. In terms of performance, the automaker is expecting a 30 percent increase in the driving range of the upcoming Mirai, which is currently 312 miles (502 kilometres). If it achieves the target, the new range will be 406 miles (653 kilometres) on a full tank of hydrogen. 

Deliveries of the next-generation Mirai units are expected to start in April next year.

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