Toyota to begin deliveries of the latest Mirai hydrogen-powered sedan in December

This sleek-looking sedan replaces one of the arguably ugliest vehicles ever produced, the Toyota Mirai. I believe the idea was to make the original Mirai stand out when it came to market five years ago and boy did it. Toyota sold very few of them and the range was very small. In later years, range was improved but if you think it's hard to find electrical charging, try finding a hydrogen station. In fact, Toyota has installed a handful of hydrogen stations as a result. Toyota bribed Mirai buyers with free hydrogen for up to three years (term of a lease?). Sales improved, but not to the levels required. So a new Mirai was needed. Enter the 2021 Mirai with styling that says Toyota/Lexus and is a major improvement. Now Mirai will be offered in XLE (red car below) and Limited grades (blue car and interior pic above) with varying levels of trim and features. Most of Toyota's safety and tech suites come standard with models differentiated by trim mostly like wheels, tires, panoramic roof, upholstery choices, etc. Interestingly, at least to me, the media release does not mention range or pricing, so check with your dealer for info or visit Toyota's consumer website. While the 2021 Mirai is a step forward, why Toyota didn't take the next step and make the Mirai an EV is beyond me. It feels like Toyota invested in the wrong technology, especially since EVs are being accepted around the globe and maybe they didn't anticipate battery advancements. (FYI: hydrogen fuel cells create electricity which is used to power electric motors.) Also hydrogen for vehicles is often created from hydrocarbons aka oil or by breaking apart water molecules which requires energy. Is Toyota somehow wedded to the oil industry? Hydrogen-fueled vehicles emit mostly water out the exhaust which is a step up from ICE vehicles, but hydrogen-fuel cells seem to be a middle step most manufacturers decided to skip. The 2021 Mirai will be at your local dealer in December. Maybe Toyota will release an EV version of the new Mirai which might spur more interest from consumers.

Source: Toyota - Media release and pics

Media Release:
2021 Toyota Mirai Hits Dealerships in December with Cutting Edge Technology, Enhanced Safety and Multiple Grades

• Elegant 2021 Mirai Goes on Sale in December
• First Time Mirai Will Be Offered with Two Grades – XLE and Limited
• Toyota Safety Sense 2.5+ Standard on Every Mirai
• Standard 12.3-Inch Multimedia Touchscreen with 14-Speaker JBL® System
• Hydro Blue, Oxygen White, Supersonic Red, Heavy Metal and Black Exterior Colors
• Seating for Five

The first production hydrogen fuel-cell electric vehicle (FCEV) offered for sale to retail customers in North America, the Toyota Mirai, rolled onto dealership lots five years ago. This December, the all-new, second-generation 2021 Mirai, which debuted in 2019 at the Los Angeles Auto Show, will do the same.

A dramatic change in styling, this Mirai will offer multiple grades for the first time – XLE and Limited – and is based on Toyota’s premium rear-wheel drive platform, debuting a dramatic yet refined coupe-inspired design with improved passenger room and comfort. The new platform allows for a highly rigid body that is lower, longer, and wider, with its bolder stance accentuated by available 20-inch alloy wheels. The design is more aerodynamic, yet also emotionally evocative.

Premium Technology

The Mirai is raising for the bar for standard technology equipped across a model line. Every grade comes standard with a 12.3-inch multimedia touchscreen with 14 JBL® speakers including a subwoofer and amplifier, as well as Android AutoTM, Apple CarPlay® and Amazon Alexa compatibility. Behind the steering wheel, an 8-inch color TFT LCD digital gauge cluster displays the speedometer, drive mode, fuel efficiency, MID and more. A Qi-compatible smartphone wireless charging tray also comes standard on every 2021 Mirai.

The XLE grade includes dual-zone climate control, heated front seats, manual rear seat sunshades and power-folding mirrors with puddle lights.

The Limited grade comes standard with a color Head-Up Display (HUD) with speedometer and navigation, three-zone automatic climate control, heated and ventilated front and rear seats, and a rear touchscreen control panel with climate control function, rear sunshade toggle, audio controls. A Bird’s Eye View Camera also comes standard on Limited grades, while available on XLE. The Limited grade also gets standard Intelligent Park Assist and a dual-fixed panoramic moonroof with power sliding shade.

Toyota Safety Sense 2.5+

Toyota is a pioneering force in the adoption of Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) ever since it made the advanced safety features standard across many of its model lineup for 2017, five years ahead of the voluntary commitment by many OEMs with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to make it standard on virtually all light vehicles. For 2021, the Mirai is one of three Toyota models to include TSS 2.5+, the next phase in Toyota’s evolution of safety systems. A number of functions that are part of the Toyota Safety Sense have been enhanced.

For starters, the Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection (PCS w/PD), features multiple enhancements. By enhancing the system capabilities, it is now possible for the system to help detect not only the vehicle ahead but also a preceding bicyclist in daytime and even a preceding pedestrian in low-light conditions. TSS 2.5+ also enhances the PCS w/PD system with intersection support. At intersections, the system may detect an oncoming vehicle or pedestrian when performing a left-hand turn and may provide audio/visual alerts and automatic braking in certain conditions. Additional PCS functions include emergency steering assist, which is designed to stabilize the driver’s emergency steering maneuvers within their lane while avoiding a preceding pedestrian, bicyclist or vehicle.

Mirai comes equipped with Full-Speed Dynamic Radar Cruise Control (DRCC), which can be activated above 30 mph and is designed to perform vehicle-to-vehicle distance controls down to 0 mph and resume from a stop. DRCC also includes a new feature that allows for smoother overtaking of slower vehicles. If traveling behind a vehicle traveling slower than the preset speed, once the driver engages the turn signal with steering input the system will provide an initial increase in acceleration in preparation for changing lanes; after changing lanes, the vehicle will continue acceleration until it reaches the preset driving speed.

Lane Departure Alert is designed to help notify the driver via audible alert if it senses the vehicle is leaving the lane without engaging a turn signal. When DRCC is set and engaged, Lane Tracing Assist (LTA) is designed to assist the driver by providing a slight steering force to help center the vehicle in its lane using visible lane markers or a preceding vehicle.

Additional TSS 2.5+ features include Automatic High Beams, which detects preceding or oncoming vehicles and automatically switches between high beam and low beam headlights, and Road Sign Assist (RSA), which is designed to recognize certain road sign information when available, by using a forward-facing camera and display them on the MID.

Electrifying Choices

Accentuating the Mirai’s smoother, more sculptural form is a brand-new Hydro Blue color never before featured on a Toyota which achieves its brightness and deepness through a multiple-layer painting process. This exclusive color will only be available on the Limited grade. Oxygen White, Black, Supersonic Red, and Heavy Metal, the latter of which is also exclusive to Mirai, will be available on both grades.

A 20-inch super chrome-finish aluminum wheel option is available on the Limited grades, while 19-inch black machined-finish aluminum wheels come standard. The XLE will come standard with 19-inch twin-spoke aluminum wheels.

Moving inside the cabin, all XLE grades feature Black SofTex®-trimmed heated seats with Gray stitching on the seats, doors, headliner and steering wheel, as well as Silver accents throughout the dash.

The Limited grades have a choice of Black or White heated and ventilated perforated SofTex®-trimmed seats. Both options can be paired with Gray stitching with Silver accents or Ivory stitching with Copper accents.

The Limited grades feature panoramic moonroof panels with power sliding shade. Limited also features a power sunshade for the rear window.

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in the U.S. for more than 60 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our nearly 1,500 dealerships.

Toyota has created a tremendous value chain and directly employs more than 36,000 in the U.S. The company has contributed world-class design, engineering, and assembly of more than 30 million cars and trucks at our 9 manufacturing plants, 10 including our joint venture in Alabama that is scheduled to begin production in 2021.