Second-generation Toyota Mirai

The first Toyota Mirai, launched in 2014, is a stepping stone for Toyota's carbon neutrality goals because of its fuel cell powertrain this car showcased. As Japan is in the Reiwa era and in the midst of the new normal, a new Mirai is born and it's a bold departure from the first one the world got familiar with.

The all-new Mirai, priced at 71 million yen plus additional costs, is no longer the Mirai we are familiar with because it has now converted from a Prius-shaped hatchback into a premium luxury sedan for a more emotional form, unlike the previous model it replaces and it incorporates Toyota's new fuel cell powertrain to make it more lively and dramatic than ever.

So, why the conversion into a luxury car, you asked? Back at the 2019 Tokyo Motor Show, the world got enraptured over the Mirai's next form, and because of its luxury sedan design, TNGA platform, and rear-wheel-drive caught the attention of the motoring world, Toyota was so pleased about letting the design stay when they turn it into a production model and here we are, the rebirth of Toyota's first mass-produced fuel cell vehicle that is now Crown-shaped rather than Prius-shaped.

Thanks to the GA-L platform it now runs on, the new Mirai is now surprisingly longer than the previous model, resulting in a more spacious interior fit for the environmentally woke executives trying to use this car as a template for their carbon-neutral goals. On the driver's side, they are greeted with a nearly minimalist interior that still packs some buttons to make it more user-friendly because the new Mirai still cares about what the customers need rather than itself. Despite being rear-wheel-drive, the new Mirai's boot space is big enough for a trip to the country club.

The GA-L platform the new model runs on as well as its rear-wheel-drive layout, not to mention the multi-link coil spring suspension setup, made the new Mirai more emotional to drive than the previous model, meaning it's got the same driving feel akin to expensive German imports. It really reminds us of the Crown in so many ways and thanks to its highly advanced safety systems, it's worth noticeable for those who are living in an era where semi-autonomous driving is now the king of the new normal.

The new model is powered by the new FCB130 fuel cell stack which produces 174PS of power and it's bolted to a 134kw electric motor as well as a Li-ion battery. The driving range is about 750 to 850km, depending on the variant, and the top speed is still capped at 175kph.

Toyota has made a lot of improvements in the making of the new fuel cell stack to this new model without sacrificing its dynamic performance for the greater good. You can really feel how much hard work the engineers have done in the process.

So there you have it. The second-generation Toyota Mirai is the gold standard of the Reiwa era because of its new fuel-cell powertrain, FR layout, TNGA platform, spacious interior, dramatic exterior design, and the most advanced tech offered. Some say it might take the reigns of the Crown because of some rumors about its imminent demise but whatever the reason, the new Mirai is the byproduct of Toyota's carbon-neutral future in the same way the Prius has done in the past. It really is the Toyota of the new normal.

Photo: Toyota Motor Corporation