Toyota has successfully applied for the registration of the “X-Van Gear” trademark, which describes a crossover-like van with off-road capabilities. There is still no way of knowing whether it will go into production or not, but in the meantime, let’s look at these images by Carscoops.
The X-Van Gear was designed by the Japanese automaker’s subsidiary, Toyota Auto Body. It originally debuted as a concept car at the Japan Mobility Show in Tokyo last fall (see video). Bringing together SUV and minivan traits, it was clearly targeted towards active leisure enthusiasts. To that end, it received a rugged-looking body without b-pillars, sliding doors and an unpainted plastic body kit.
The new black-and-white sketches posted in China this week depict pretty much the same car, minus the roof rack.
A peek inside reveals a six-seat cabin with a rather unusual layout. The middle row houses just one seat with a flip-down back that you can turn into a table. The front passenger’s seat swivels around 180 degrees so that everybody can sit face-to-face in the car.
Out of all the specifications, the only ones revealed so far are the dimensions. The X-Van Gear is 4,695 mm long, 1,820 mm wide and 1,855 mm tall with 2,965 mm between the axles. It is thus similar in size to the Toyota Noah, but with a larger wheelbase.
