The hydrogen fuel-cell 2021 Toyota Mirai electric vehicle is edging closer to launch.
The HCEV launches in Japan and the US in December, with the company’s US arm releasing a handful of photos on Twitter.
We’ve contacted Toyota Australia to confirm if it plans to bring it here.
Toyota has given some Japanese media outlets a chance to get behind the wheel, including Clicccar.
The second-generation Mirai was revealed at the 2019 Tokyo motor show in almost production-ready form, though Toyota didn’t release any technical specifications at the time.
We now know it features a rear-mounted electric motor producing approximately 134kW of power and 300Nm of torque, or just over 20kW more than the current model.
There are three hydrogen storage tanks mounted underneath the passenger compartment, which gives the Mirai a claimed range of 850km. The current car has a claimed range of 550km.
At its 2019 motor show debut, Toyota said the Mirai would have 30 per cent more range than the outgoing model. At 850km, that’s well over a 50 per cent increase.
The rest of the hydrogen fuel-cell mechanicals are located at the front of the car, resulting in an overall weight distribution of around 50:50.
Toyota claims the Mirai will reach a top speed of 175km/h.
The company has included an artificial sound generator that you can toggle on, making the Mirai sound more like it has an internal combustion engine.
Shifting to the Toyota Crown’s rear-wheel drive TNGA-N platform affords the Mirai classic long bonnet/short deck rear-wheel drive proportions with tight overhangs.
The underpinnings mean this is a much larger car than before, growing to 4975mm long on a 2920mm wheelbase, and measuring 1470mm tall and 1885mm wide. It weighs approximately 1900kg.
Japanese video reviews show the centre rear seat is a tight squeeze, though, as there’s a large centre tunnel. Fortunately, the Mirai appears to have a large boot.
There’s a wide range of luxury features available, including heated and ventilated rear seats and a soft-close boot lid. Toyota will offer it in XLE and Limited trims in the US market, names it reserves for higher-spec models.
A few examples of the current Mirai have made their way to Australia, though they’ve been used exclusively in trials with local councils. Despite this, we managed to get our hands on one to review.
