Toyota Concept-i Is the Automotive Equivalent of an Emoji Icon

For instance, the egg shape. If interior space and the maximum freedom to configure it are paramount, then this not exactly very attractive silhouette offers the best options. If you feared that future vehicles won't be exactly sleek but look like something you might find under a giant then, then you were right.

It's up to designers to try and find a way to still make the car exciting, and this is where things can go awry. It's not entirely the case with Toyota's Concept-i, but it does look like a Manga version of Mercedes-Benz's F 015 Luxury in Motion concept from two years ago.

Toyota says the Concept-i was designed "from the inside out," which might be a good explanation for the way it presents itself to those looking at if from the outside. Take a minute and give it a good glance. Isn't it the funniest looking door wedge you've ever seen?

Beyond skin deep

However, there's more to this concept introduced by the Japanese brand at CES than first meets the eye. Despite having the "i" at the back of its name, the Concept-i is actually built around the driver and their relationship with the vehicle. Like all autonomous cars, the Concept-i comes equipped with a powerful AI, but instead of using its computing power and learning capabilities strictly for navigating, Toyota's robotic mind will do more than that.

“At Toyota, we recognize that the important question isn’t whether future vehicles will be equipped with automated or connected technologies,” said Bob Carter, senior vice president of automotive operations for Toyota. “It is the experience of the people who engage with those vehicles. Thanks to Concept-i and the power of artificial intelligence, we think the future is a vehicle that can engage with people in return.”

Hello, I am Yui

With that in mind, the Concept-i would like you to meet Yui. That's the name of the vehicle's AI Agent which will act as an advanced user interface. It will do stuff like greet you when you approach the car, but also more complex actions that ultimately aim to improve the quality of life of those inside, even though Toyota doesn't go into much more details.

More worrying is the part where the vehicle's AI is said to be able to intervene in the way the Concept-i drives even when in manual mode, without the driver knowing or asking for it. It sounds like every time Yui thinks he knows better than you, he'll just take over without bothering to warn you about it.

Moving on to the interior, it feels like an Apple showroom. There are tons of white, glossy plastic and not that many displays. That's not Toyota going cheap, but rather an intentional feature as the information is conveyed through other means, including haptic feel. There are also miniature projectors and colored interior lighting that are used for communicating relevant info, while the driver has a next-gen head-up display at his disposal.

Toyota wants the Concept-i to feel friendly, but we're pretty sure that's the last thing a Hellcat owner expects from his vehicle. Do we really want our cars to wink at us (true story)? Are we that alienated that something like this would actually make us feel good? Well, considering Tesla owners are going nuts over their SUV's ability to sing and dance, Toyota may be on to something here.