Suzuki Readies Quirky Concept Vehicles

Suzuki Motor Corp. will display a pair of small concept vehicles and a near-production version of its upcoming Ignis mini crossover vehicle along with an off-road derivative at this month's Tokyo auto show.

The tiny Mighty Deck minicar concept, which is just 133 inches long and 57 inches wide, includes a short cargo bed and canvas roof. The flexible configuration features removable panels that allows the bed to be extended into the passenger compartment to accommodate longer items. The bed floor also can be raised a few inches to create a lockable storage compartment.

The new concept, which is similar to the Mighty Boy utility vehicle Suzuki marketed briefly in Japan in the 1980s, has spiked speculation about a possible production version of the Mighty Deck.

Suzuki also is showing the Air Triser compact minivan concept in Tokyo. The vehicle's three rows of seats can be reconfigured into various lounge-type arrangements or such that passengers face each other.

The new all-wheel-drive Ignis builds on the iM-4 concept Suzuki showed earlier this year. Sales are expected to begin in Japan by year-end. The Ignis-Trail concept gets slightly raised ground clearance, roof rails and protective black trim around the wheel arches. Suzuki last used the Ignis name in 2008.