The future was well-represented at the Geneva motor show this year. With each carmaker adding newer and edgier tech to their kitty. Toyota’s i-TRIL electric city car concept was one of the cars that might have a hand in how our streets look in the future.
Toyota claims the i-TRIL has a driving range of more than 298km between charges. The car features a one-plus-two seating layout as well as ‘Active Lean’ and autonomous technology. The rear-wheel drive concept has been developed as an alternative to small urban cars. It has no pedals and is controlled via drive-by-wire technology, which is operated through left and right-hand controls that work like “computer mice or game controllers”.
When the car is in autonomous mode, the left or right side of the instrument panel lights up to show you which way the car is going to be leaning. The company states that an angle of 10 degrees of lean allows the concept to maintain stability and hold its grip better.
With 19-inch wheels in the front and 20-inch wheels at the back there is 25 degrees of front-wheel steering, which will give the car a four-metre turning circle. It comes equipped with butterfly opening doors that are built in a way that a section of the flooring is removed when they open, allowing easier access to get in and out of the vehicle. According to Toyota, these can easily be opened in an average parking space.
The i-TRIL is 3,000mm long and 1,510mm wide, with front and rear tracks at 1,200mm and 600mm.
While the car is in manual mode, a head-up display will show all the information a driver needs to know. The interiors come with no switchgear or instrument binnacle. The rear is roomy enough to accommodate two people.