Toyota announced its new “LQ” concept car earlier this week. The car will be exhibited in Future Expo – 2019 Tokyo Motor Show later this month from October 24 to November 4.
The LQ concept car aims to build “an emotional bond” with the driver. To achieve this, the vehicle comes with an AI-powered assistant named “Yui” that the company claims to personalize the driving experience.
“Advanced technology gives us the power to match customer lifestyles with new opportunities for excitement and engagement. With the LQ, we are proud to propose a vehicle that can deliver a personalized experience, meet each driver’s unique mobility needs, and build an even stronger bond between car and driver.”, said LQ development leader Daisuke Ido in a press release.
The Yui assistant can perform a multitude of tasks based on the driver’s emotional state. For instance, Yui has the ability to play music based on the driving environment. The coolest feature of LQ, however, is the intelligent seat alertness and relaxation function.
The seating system equipped in LQ comes with inflatable air bladders embedded into the seat that contracts or expands based on the driver’s energy levels. Cool air will be coming out from the ventilation system once the car detects that the driver is tired to help him/her stay awake. On the other side, if Yui detects that the driver can relax, the air bladders will contract which allows drivers to take a more comfortable posture.
Also, the car comes with an automated driving function and can perform valet parking automatically. This way, you need not search for parking spaces. Cool, right?
LQ has an AR Head’s Up Display (AR-HUD) that uses AR technology to show more information like lane warnings, road signs on the HUD so that drivers don’t have to take their eyes off the road.
Toyota has announced a test-drive event called Toyota Yui Project Tours 2020 that allows people to try out and experience the LQ. However, you will have to wait a bit longer for that since the Japanese automaker has planned to run the test-drive program from June to September 2020. Interested people can opt-in using a smartphone app and selected participants will be invited for the test-drive.
So, what are your thoughts on the Toyota LQ? Tell us in the comments.
