Photo: Japan Patent and Trademark Office
Back in October, Toyota was present at the Japan Mobility Show and graced the event's floor with a series of concept vehicles, illustrating the variety of mobility solutions for all needs and lifestyles. One of these vehicles was the X-Van Gear Concept, an impressively spacious minivan with a rugged design and front and rear sliding doors.
The Japanese automotive giant has now filed a design patent for the vehicle, sparking rumors that it could actually turn the concept into a production model.
Designed by Toyota Auto Body, a manufacturing subsidiary of Toyota that assembles models such as the Land Cruiser family, the Alphard, Noah, and Voxy minivans, the X-Van Gear Concept was presented as a crossover that blends the comfort and practicality of a minivan with the rugged appearance of an SUV.
The company envisioned the X-Van Gear Concept with a series of features that set it apart from other people haulers, such as the high ground clearance that makes it more suitable for off-road use and the absence of B-pillars, which creates a wide open space that facilitates easy ingress and egress, makes it easy to maneuver large items, and can also be configured as a lounge/dining area for campers.
In terms of dimensions, the high-riding minivan is 4695 mm (184.8 inches) long, 1820 mm (71.6 inches) wide, and 1855 mm (73 inches) tall, and its interior boasts a three-row layout, meaning it can seat up to six people. Moreover, the seats are mounted on rails on the floor, allowing for great flexibility in terms of arrangement. The front passenger seat is installed on a swiveling mount so it can face both forward and backward or even moved to the second row if necessary; the second row folds down and doubles as a table, while the third row has a sofa-like design, again facilitating the lounging/dining configuration.
The patent images registered with the Japan Patent and Trademark Office seem to showcase a minivan that is very similar to the concept vehicle. The only differences we can spot include the wheels and the absence of the roof rack and basket. All the key features seen on the concept are present in the patent filing, including the rugged body cladding all around, boxy wheel arch flares with sliding door rails, high ground clearance, peculiar pillar design, narrow daytime running lights above the pixel headlights, and vertically arranged and split headlights.
The absence of a large grill for air intake might indicate that the X-Van Gear could be a fully electric vehicle if it indeed ends up being a production model.
As always, the fact that Toyota filed a design patent for the X-Van Gear Concept doesn't necessarily guarantee the carmaker's intention to put it into production. This step might have been taken just as a precaution to prevent other brands from imitating the design.
Designed by Toyota Auto Body, a manufacturing subsidiary of Toyota that assembles models such as the Land Cruiser family, the Alphard, Noah, and Voxy minivans, the X-Van Gear Concept was presented as a crossover that blends the comfort and practicality of a minivan with the rugged appearance of an SUV.
The company envisioned the X-Van Gear Concept with a series of features that set it apart from other people haulers, such as the high ground clearance that makes it more suitable for off-road use and the absence of B-pillars, which creates a wide open space that facilitates easy ingress and egress, makes it easy to maneuver large items, and can also be configured as a lounge/dining area for campers.
In terms of dimensions, the high-riding minivan is 4695 mm (184.8 inches) long, 1820 mm (71.6 inches) wide, and 1855 mm (73 inches) tall, and its interior boasts a three-row layout, meaning it can seat up to six people. Moreover, the seats are mounted on rails on the floor, allowing for great flexibility in terms of arrangement. The front passenger seat is installed on a swiveling mount so it can face both forward and backward or even moved to the second row if necessary; the second row folds down and doubles as a table, while the third row has a sofa-like design, again facilitating the lounging/dining configuration.
The patent images registered with the Japan Patent and Trademark Office seem to showcase a minivan that is very similar to the concept vehicle. The only differences we can spot include the wheels and the absence of the roof rack and basket. All the key features seen on the concept are present in the patent filing, including the rugged body cladding all around, boxy wheel arch flares with sliding door rails, high ground clearance, peculiar pillar design, narrow daytime running lights above the pixel headlights, and vertically arranged and split headlights.
The absence of a large grill for air intake might indicate that the X-Van Gear could be a fully electric vehicle if it indeed ends up being a production model.
As always, the fact that Toyota filed a design patent for the X-Van Gear Concept doesn't necessarily guarantee the carmaker's intention to put it into production. This step might have been taken just as a precaution to prevent other brands from imitating the design.
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