The Toyota Mirai fuel cell-electric sedan has been redesigned for the 2021 model year, with the new generation to start sales in December.
The original Mirai was launched for 2016 at a starting price of $57,500, or a monthly lease of $499. That's steep for what's essentially a non-premium compact sedan, so for the car's redesign Toyota has taken a more upmarket path.
2016 Toyota Mirai
The new look was previewed at the 2019 Los Angeles Auto Show, and is much sexier and sleeker than before. Things are also bigger. The length has been increased to 195.8 inches, versus the outgoing Mirai's 192.5 inches, and the wheelbase has been increased by even more. The new Mirai's platform, borrowed from Lexus, is also more rigid than the one it replaces, with drive also expected to switch from the front wheels to the rear, a change that should result in sportier handling.
Toyota is yet to reveal details on the powertrain, but we know the car's bigger size has allowed engineers to fit bigger hydrogen storage tanks. Toyota said to expect a 30% increase in range compared to the outgoing Mirai which can return roughly 300 miles on a fill of hydrogen. The automaker also said to expect more power than the outgoing Mirai's measly 153 horsepower.
2021 Toyota Mirai
For the interior, the design cribs heavily from the Lexus playbook. The dash is largely clear of buttons as many of the usual controls have been moved to a standard 12.3-inch touchscreen display. This is joined by an 8.0-inch screen serving as the instrument cluster. A digital rearview mirror will also be offered on the redesigned Mirai, Toyota said.
Other premium features, either standard or available, include heated seats, a color head-up display, three-zone climate control, a rear touchscreen for climate and audio control, a surround-view camera, and a 14-speaker JBL audio system. There's also electronic driver-assist features include park assist, collision warning with pedestrian detection and automatic emergency braking, and adaptive cruise control.
2021 Toyota Mirai
Toyota only sold about 1,500 Mirais in the United States last year, but part of the reason for the low sales is limited availability. Toyota can't sell the Mirai in every state because there's only a handful of places to buy hydrogen in the country, and those are limited to California and Hawaii. Toyota said it will install its own hydrogen fuel stations in the Northeast and other parts of the country to help expand markets for the Mirai, though timing is unclear.
While most automakers are focused exclusively on battery-electric cars for zero-emission driving, Toyota still sees a place for hydrogen in long-distance driving, particularly in the trucking segment. Toyota recently teamed up with truck manufacturer Kenworth to build a handful of fuel cell-electric semi-trailer trucks for use in a trial in the L.A. region.
2021 Toyota Mirai
Full details on the 2021 Mirai, including the all-important pricing information, will be announced closer to the market launch.
For more on the Toyota Mirai, read the in-depth reviews at The Car Connection.
