Toyota X-Van Gear mixes minivan practicality with imposing SUV design

Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) has featured the X-Van Gear concept at the 2023 Japan Mobility Show. Built by TMC subsidiary Toyota Auto Body, this concept seeks to show a vehicle that combines the spaciousness of a minivan and the “active style” of an SUV.

Toyota X-Van Gear

At a glance, that so-called active style is pretty apparent in this minivan concept. It mainly uses angular lines and flat surfaces for its exterior. Its imposing front section, in particular, gets a flat, black-colored fascia enhanced with a squinty-eyed look thanks to thin LED headlamps.

From the sides, one notable feature of the concept is its ground clearance, which is rather generous for a minivan. Also noticeable is its lack of B-pillars. The “faux pillar” seen on the pictures of the concept’s profile is actually a part of its sliding doors. This ensures seamless accessibility to the vehicle’s interior.

X-Van Gear from the side

The rear of the minivan concept meanwhile, gets a larger trunk door as one would expect. A majority of this section, however, is covered in a protective plastic material. This can serve as a sort of “armor” for the vehicle, especially if the X-Van is used for rough outdoor activities like camping.

Inside the X-Van Gear is a spacious, open-feeling cabin equipped with a panoramic sunroof, 180-degree swiveling front row, flat-folding second-row seats, and a foldable bench-type third row. Thanks to the seat’s adjustability, the interior of the concept has a modular quality to it, meaning it can be turned to suit various purposes or needs.

It's front seats can swivel to face the second row.

For example, fold the second row down as a table and rotate the front row to face the third row. Now you have a space you can use for meetings, or even as a dining area. One can even fold one of the front seats up and remove one of the second-row seats to create a cargo space that’s good enough to store a mountain bike, a surfboard, boxes, or whatnot.

Since its unveiling at 2023 JMS, Toyota hasn’t shared more details on the X-Van Gear’s powertrain. But as hinted by its closed-off front fascia, it might as well be an electric vehicle just like many of the other concept vehicles shown off at the Japanese car event.

Another peek inside the X-Van Gear

Catch more details on the latest concept cars featured at the 2023 JMS here on Philkotse.