Toyota showcases pre-production Mirai

The earlier generation Mirai wasn't beautiful to say the least. This meant that only people who really cared about polar bears picked one up. Toyota knew that if the Mirai was to be a success, the average consumer must want one. Not just because of its clean credentials but because it is genuinely a desirable car.

Behold, the 2020 Toyota Mirai. An absolute stunner in this second generation avatar, won't you say? The front end is different to that of any other Toyota with a clean bonnet and a stylish grille placed under the Toyota badge. The side profile looks long and Lexus-esque and dare I say it, regal? The shoulder line is simple and a kink in the lower belt-line accentuates the car’s looks while the large 20-inch rims complete the package. The back-end seems to rise up from the bottom and there is a contour under the Toyota badge, shaped similarly to the grille in the front.

The upgrades aren’t all cosmetic though, the new Mirai will get a 30 percent bump in range as compared to the outgoing Mirai which had a range of about 480km. This is achieved thanks to larger hydrogen tanks. The Mirai’s motor specs haven't been revealed yet but we can expect Toyota to give ample performance to this after working so hard on the looks. What we do know is that it will be rear-wheel-drive. Fun!

The interior of the Mirai seems to be inspired by the very best from Toyota, Lexus and a little bit of the near future. The central console wraps around the passenger and has a bronze accent running along it. The 12.3-inch infotainment screen dominates the top half of the dashboard with shortcut keys along the bottom, the driver gets an 8-inch digital display behind the steering wheel. There is a large wireless charging pad on the central tunnel, next to the cup holders. Bronze accents run all around the cabin along with ambient lighting, making the interior look (almost) as good as the exterior.

The Mirai is expected to be launched globally in late-2020. While this is a pre-production car and might undergo slight tweaks before it hits the road, but you can expect most of the features and looks to remain the same. The Mirai isn't on sale in India, but abroad it sells at roughly Rs 42 lakh. It should get a little more expensive for this generation.