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The Tokyo motor show 2009 review, by Phil McNamara

Ch–ch–ch–changes: time to face the strain, presciently sang David Bowie looking forward to the 41st Tokyo Motor Show. Since the 40th show in 2007, the car world has changed economically, politically and technologically. Even the show itself has suffered a pitiful transformation, stripped to just the Japanese firms after the European and American car makers block voted with their feet and jilted the show to save cash.

BMW i3 EV: More than 8,000 ordered already

The BMW i3 EV already has 8k orders BMW has invested heavily in their new ‘i’ range of electric cars – as much as £2 billion it’s estimated – with the ‘i’ cars being developed from scratch rather than based on an existing BMW model. The first BMW i to be launched is the compact city car BMW i3, revealed in production form in July, which costs from around £30k for the regular EV and an extra 10 per cent for the i3 with a range extender engine. Despite being revealed in July BMW has not yet officially put the i3 on sale, but that hasn’t stopped potential buyers lining up to palce a reservation, with more than 8,000 already signed-up for an i3.

Hyundai HB20X

Hyundai has unveiled its Brazil-exclusive HB20X at the Sao Paulo motor show, a sportier crossover version of the HB20 hatchback. The face features a redesigned bumper with a hexagonal grille that reflects Hyundai's SUV family aesthetic and latest design ‘Fluidic Sculpture' philosophy. The headlamps feature black bezels and chrome details while the fog lamps have been fully redesigned.