2021 Toyota Mirai Already Reviewed In Japan A Month Before Reveal

Toyota has been awfully quiet about the second-generation Mirai ever since it unveiled the hydrogen-powered sedan in concept form back in October 2019. The production-ready variant will premiere next month, with Toyota USA announcing a "late December" reveal on Facebook. The post published yesterday on social media came along with a few images of the 2021 Mirai, showing two of the paint choices (Supersonic Red and Hydro Blue) and the availability of XLE and Limited trims.

While most of the world is still waiting to see the Mirai in full, it's a different situation at home in Japan where Toyota has given early access to a few journalists. The videos attached here are just two examples of what you'll find on YouTube if you know where to look for the revamped Mirai. We had to use the auto-translate function to understand what the reviewers say.

They were both left impressed with the car's design and Lexus-like sophistication while praising its practicality thanks to ample rear legroom and a sizeable trunk that makes good use of space. We get to see some of the neat features like the folding front headrest, digital rearview camera, and rear touch panel between the seats.

While the video attached at the top provides a static review of the 2021 Mirai, the footage below shows the journalist taking the hydrogen sedan for a quick spin. He's particularly impressed by how "extremely quiet" the car is and the quick response of the acceleration. As a refresher, the new platform has allowed Toyota to switch to a rear-wheel-drive layout, which should make it more fun to drive.

Toyota has been coy regarding the powertrain, but we'll remind you the previous-gen model had 151 hp and 247 lb-ft (335 Nm) of torque channeled to the front axle. The new videos from Japan reveal the horsepower count is up by "about 30" (to roughly 182 hp) compared to its predecessor while weight distribution is an ideal 50:50 split.

When the second-gen Mirai was unveiled more than a year ago, Toyota said it was targeting a 30-percent increase in range. Now, the journos are saying it can travel for up to 850 kilometers (528 miles), although that's probably based on Japan's JC08 test cycle. The hydrogen-fueled sedan weighs around 1,900 kilograms (4,189 pounds) and has an artificial sound generator activated by pressing a button on the dashboard.

We'll have to wait until December to discover all the technical specifications without having to resort to YouTube's auto-translate function. That being said, the Mirai is already shaping up to be a drastic improvement in every way over its rather bland predecessor.