Toyota Mirai

The Mirai, a low-slung sedan with a long front overhang, is built on the same underpinnings as the Lexus LS luxury sedan, and it looks like a designer’s early rendering of the current Avalon. Overall, it’s an attractive design that hints at how special the car is without drawing too much attention, and it’s a major step forward from the shorter, narrower outgoing model, which looked too much like a pedestrian Prius. A deep color called Hydro Blue, finished with multiple layers of paint, is available only on the higher-end Limited trim.

Toyota says the narrow, sweeping headlights are a "new lighting signature" for the brand. We wouldn’t be surprised to see a similar look on future Corolla, Camry, and Avalon sedans.

We worry only about two potential missteps: The protruding edge of the hood and recessed grille give it a pronounced underbite, and the unadorned sheetmetal at the edges of the front doors draw attention to how their stark right angles stand in juxtaposition to the rest of the car’s curvature.

The interior is also reminiscent of the current Avalon but with a Prius-like shifter and Lexus-like soft-touch surfaces. There’s a conspicuously large spot for wireless charging between the two front seats and two rows of actual buttons beneath the touch screen, but no knob for changing the volume.

The Limited trim offers climate and audio controls for rear passengers, as well as heated and ventilated front and rear seats, a panoramic sunroof, and ambient lighting.

The new Mirai’s powerplant is smaller than its predecessor’s, which gives it more room for cargo and passengers—and it seats five instead of four. Still, it has only 9.6 cubic feet of trunk space—about 60 percent smaller than what the Toyota Avalon or Lexus LS offer.

The Mirai gets a fuel-cell system that’s 20 percent smaller and half as heavy as the setup in the outgoing model, so it fits under the hood instead of beneath the passenger compartment. A lithium-ion battery that stores energy for heavy acceleration is also smaller and lighter than the previous Mirai’s battery. Three carbon-fiber-reinforced high-pressure tanks hold a total of 5.6 kg of hydrogen—hydrogen sells for $13 to $17 per kg—enough to give the Mirai a range of up to 400 miles between refueling.

Similar to filling a car with gas, it takes about 5 minutes to fill the Mirai with hydrogen. The automaker estimates fuel economy at 74 MPGe for the XLE trim and 65 MPGe for the Limited trim, putting the XLE at the head of the pack for efficiency among its hydrogen-powered competitors. (MPGe stands for “miles per gallon equivalent” and is analogous to how far a car could travel on a gallon of gasoline. Hydrogen is sold by the kg.)

The fuel cell and battery send power to a rear-mounted electric motor. Toyota says the powertrain is good for 182 hp and 221 lb.-ft. of torque—that’s a slight horsepower increase over the prior model but a bit of a drop in torque. Acceleration is a languid 9.2 seconds from 0 to 60 mph.

Like a hybrid, the Mirai uses battery power for low-speed driving and initial acceleration, calling on the fuel cell to power the vehicle’s electric drivetrain when necessary. Regenerative braking and excess energy from the fuel cell will recharge the battery. We’ll be interested to see just how smoothly it accelerates, considering that some hybrids tend to shudder and start feeling lethargic when their gas engines come to life.

Aside from the fuel cell, the Mirai boasts a 50/50 (front and rear) weight distribution for predictable handling, and a multilink suspension that Toyota says will give the car a sporty feel. We’ll let you know more when we drive one.