Toyota unveils trio of futuristic China concepts

The Toyota Yundong Shuangqing (below) is a petrol-electric hybrid – like the Toyota Prius and Camry Hybrid – that was developed primarily for the domestic market at the manufacturer’s engineering centre in Changshu, China.

Yundong means ‘movement upon clouds’, conveying the concept’s innovation and eco-friendliness, while Shuangqing translates to ‘dual support’, referring to its two power sources.

The concept combines the signature gaping lower grille and prominent blue badge of Toyota’s hybrids with the sleek and sporty new styling language seen recently in the Toyota Avalon and FCV-R concept.

Unveiled alongside the mid-sized Yundong Shuangqing were the compact Toyota Dear Qin hatch (top) and sedan (below) concepts. Toyota describes the Dear Qin as a “global-strategic concept” designed to attract more people to the brand’s showrooms.

Qin means ‘dear’ or ‘intimate’ in Mandarin Chinese, and represents Toyota’s wish for both models to become cherished by the masses.

Both designs are unique and futuristic, and are further examples of the brand’s recent decision to give more power to its vehicle developers and engineers and less to its number crunchers.

Toyota president Akio Toyoda said he was committed to offering a wide range of vehicles to meet the broad demands of consumers in China, including a hybrid that was developed for the region.

“We would like to put smiles on the faces of our Chinese customers with hybrid technology,” Toyoda said.

“I want the people of China to be able to experience the beauty of hybrid technology through a hybrid car born in China.”

The three concepts are part of a massive 3200 square metre Toyota stand at Beijing that includes 38 different concept and production vehicles – a telling example of the Chinese market’s increasing importance to the Japan-based manufacturer.