The SUV can also be driven by drivers with lower limb impairments
23 Oct 2023 | 2045 Views | By Akbar Merchant, Autocar India
Toyota will have an army of concept and production cars at the upcoming Japan Mobility Show, also known as Tokyo Motor Show 2023. The brand will also showcase NEO Steer – a yoke-style steering device instead of the traditional round steering wheel. This tech will be seen on the recently ...
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Toyota will have an army of concept and production cars at the upcoming Japan Mobility Show, also known as Tokyo Motor Show 2023. The brand will also showcase NEO Steer – a yoke-style steering device instead of the traditional round steering wheel. This tech will be seen on the recently unveiled Toyota Land Cruiser Prado SUV that will be on display at the event.
The Neo Steer takes inspiration from motorcycle handlebars by integrating the controls for acceleration and braking into the steering wheel, which eliminates the need for pedals as well. This yoke-style steering facilitates hand-operating driving, which means the SUV can also be driven by drivers with lower limb impairments.
On the yoke, the newly gained controls are mounted on the right side. They replace the acceleration and brake pedals, thus allowing drivers to enter/exit the vehicle with ease.
This is not the first time Toyota has equipped its vehicle from the factory with a yoke-like setup. Toyota’s luxury brand Lexus has introduced the 'Steer by wire' tech in the RZ EV SUV, which is essentially a Lexus version of the popular Toyota bZ4X SUV. The steer-by-wire tech on the Lexus RZ is offered as an alternative to the traditional steering wheel and has a similar yoke-style device.
Toyota will bring a fresh concept previewing an all-electric Land Cruiser Se SUV. Additionally, there will be the Toyota FT-3E, another born-EV SUV concept, as well as a born-EV sportscar called the Toyota FT-Se. More production vehicles and concepts will be on display at Tokyo Motor Show 2023, which starts later this week.
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