Toyota NCSV from 1999, forgotten concept
No, this concept car is not a Seat, although it is impossible to deny that this car looks a lot like Seat’s study model Salsa. And then he also has a name that is difficult to remember: Toyota NCSV. But what is it?
Only when the brand logos come into view does it become clear that this not so bad model comes from Toyota. Not even from its European design studio, where the brand has twisted all kinds of marketing corners to understand the preferences of the local motorist, but from designer Takeshi Yoshida.
He wanted to draw a model that has as much (or as little) to do with a coupe as with a sedan or wagon. He believes that mix would provide the ideal car for the intended buyer group, consisting of people in their twenties and early thirties with a modern fun lifestyle. Toyota exhibited the concept car at the 1999 Tokyo Motor Show and also took it to the Geneva Salon in early 2000. This means that the NCSV was there before the Seat Salsa, which was only shown for the first time in 2000.
Toyota NCSV
Seat salsa
The Japanese designer has really succeeded in making a nice mix of components. Despite the similarities with the German models mentioned, the result achieved may be certain, but of course no beacons were set. In fact, the NCSV was a repetition of moves. Just think of the famous Volvo 1800ES, Reliant Scimitar, Jensen GT and Lancia Beta HPE.
Toyota NCSV, a three-door.
Cars from the 1970s that broadly (literally!) offered the same as this Toyota. And that is a sporty, low lines, two doors plus a large tailgate and a far extended roofline, with two spacious seats in the front, two less spacious seats in the back and quite a bit of luggage space. And a rear seat that is very difficult to reach as standard, which would disqualify the Toyota NCSV in advance as a family car or friends car in the eyes of the young target group.
Actually, not a single styling detail of the Toyota NCSV returned on a production model.
Funnily enough, Toyota has already built a car that belongs in the aforementioned list. That was in 1976, when a sporty three-door came to strengthen the range. This car was given the beautiful name Toyota Sportswagon in the Netherlands, while it was called Corolla Liftback in Germany, for example. The Sportswagon shared its technology with the Corolla and the Carina and played the role of the more exclusive and sportier variant of both. That idea did not come to fruition completely, because the car, which was misunderstood at the time, disappeared from the scene after just a few years. The fate that befell the Toyota NCSV is even more unfortunate, because this model has – as far as can be ascertained – very quietly disappeared from the scene.
Toyota Sportswagon
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– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl