2009 Tokyo Auto Show Preview: Honda Skydeck Concept

TOKYO — The Honda Skydeck is the Japanese automaker's vision of what a future six-seat hybrid minivan might look like, with styling inspiration that appears to be drawn in part from the sporty CR-Z coupe. It will debut at the 2009 Tokyo Auto Show.

Honda wants to take the Insight hybrid formula and expand it into new areas of the market, and the attractive Skydeck is one possible solution, although, right now, it's a pure auto-show concept with no word of what's under the hood.

The Skydeck has an all-glass roof and three rows of super-slim "floating" sport seats.

The doors are a bit special, too. The front doors hinge up and forward, supercar-style, while the rear doors slide backward to open out on a cool and airy three-row cabin.

The Skydeck could be more significant than it first appears, because it re-sites the Insight's hybrid system battery to sit within the center console that runs along the cabin floor. Could this be a clue about a next-generation IMA hybrid system designed to power bigger vehicles?

As to size, at 182 inches overall, the Skydeck is a bit shorter than the U.S.-spec Odyssey, but its 114-inch wheelbase goes well beyond that of the Accord.

Inside Line says: And what's with those wacky translucent green wheels? — Peter Nunn, Correspondent