Photo: Suzuki
You know when we sometimes make some ridiculous claims or weird comparisons in our titles, and then the actual story begins and we say something like "yeah, but...". Well, there will be none of that this time.
This Suzuki Air Triser Concept actually is a Japanese version of the VW Bulli, even though that may not have been their intention. If you took the Bulli, showed it to a Japanese graphic designer and asked him to draw a manga version of the minibus, and the Suzuki Air Triser is exactly what he'll come up with.
Yeah, but... if Suzuki had shown the Air Triser with a different color scheme, we probably wouldn't have noticed the similarity so easily.
Anyway, enough about the Bulli, let's talk about the Citroen C4 Cactus instead. Wait, what? Don't worry, it won't last that long. Actually, it's just the textiles on the interior and the rounded dashboard that made us briefly think of the French crossover. In fact, Suzuki Air Triser's dash top looks so cozy and comfortable it could probably double as a mini-bed for a child. Not while driving, though.
The exterior dimensions are quite small - 4,200 mm (165.35 inches), 1,695 mm (66.73 inches) and 1,815 mm (71.45 inches) - but that doesn't stop Air Triser's modular interior to offer accommodation for up to seven adults.
The only way in and out of the car is through the two sliding side doors that open up to reveal a very large access way towards that funky interior. The materials used by Suzuki are anything but ordinary for the automotive industry, with the floors covered in hardwood and the pivoting and sliding seats wrapped in a tough looking fabric.
The seats can be shuffled from a three-row set up to a lounge-like arrangement - again, not while driving - but legroom appears to be a problem in the first configuration. The thick B-pillar initially caught our eye as we thought it would be a little claustrophobic for those seated in the middle row, but it turns out there's a reason for its size. On it there's a second display (there's one in the dashboard too) which governs all the entertainment functions.
Power is a hybrid affair, using a 1.4-liter turbo engine and an electric motor (or maybe motors, not quite clear) to move the minivan and also give it pseudo-all-wheel drive.
There's a reason cars like the Suzuki Air Triser are just concepts, and it's not because they would be impossible to make: nobody would buy them. They're the kind of madness that only a handful of people on the planet would actually want, and they are the kind who can have them made on order. More to be revealed after the Tokyo Motor show commences.
Yeah, but... if Suzuki had shown the Air Triser with a different color scheme, we probably wouldn't have noticed the similarity so easily.
Anyway, enough about the Bulli, let's talk about the Citroen C4 Cactus instead. Wait, what? Don't worry, it won't last that long. Actually, it's just the textiles on the interior and the rounded dashboard that made us briefly think of the French crossover. In fact, Suzuki Air Triser's dash top looks so cozy and comfortable it could probably double as a mini-bed for a child. Not while driving, though.
The exterior dimensions are quite small - 4,200 mm (165.35 inches), 1,695 mm (66.73 inches) and 1,815 mm (71.45 inches) - but that doesn't stop Air Triser's modular interior to offer accommodation for up to seven adults.
The only way in and out of the car is through the two sliding side doors that open up to reveal a very large access way towards that funky interior. The materials used by Suzuki are anything but ordinary for the automotive industry, with the floors covered in hardwood and the pivoting and sliding seats wrapped in a tough looking fabric.
The seats can be shuffled from a three-row set up to a lounge-like arrangement - again, not while driving - but legroom appears to be a problem in the first configuration. The thick B-pillar initially caught our eye as we thought it would be a little claustrophobic for those seated in the middle row, but it turns out there's a reason for its size. On it there's a second display (there's one in the dashboard too) which governs all the entertainment functions.
Power is a hybrid affair, using a 1.4-liter turbo engine and an electric motor (or maybe motors, not quite clear) to move the minivan and also give it pseudo-all-wheel drive.
There's a reason cars like the Suzuki Air Triser are just concepts, and it's not because they would be impossible to make: nobody would buy them. They're the kind of madness that only a handful of people on the planet would actually want, and they are the kind who can have them made on order. More to be revealed after the Tokyo Motor show commences.
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