Christine Tjia

"PUYO" is the concept car built for the 40th Tokyo Auto Show 2007 - a truly outstanding innovation from Honda. Its name meant to onomatopoetically convey the Japanese phrase for “touching the vehicle’s soft body.” (Ehem!) They hope drivers will regard the Puyo as more a lovable pet than a piece of machinery.

PUYO is a seamless and contour - a soft box with gel body featuring soft silicone so it can absorb light collisions. It is said that the same material is used for ipod covers (first few generations): a texture that is harder than Jell-O (Don't you just luv food analogy? Hehe!) but softer than an eraser, which can be pinched with the fingers.

With the maximum space, it can seat four adults comfortably. The seats are reminiscent of barstools while the back seats is a comfortable bench that similar a couch. I personally don't like two door cars - only for selfish people but Puyo's doors once flung open out and up in a scissor like fashion, it give access to both rows - front and back seats.

I love the warm and friendly impression it gave. It looks like marshmallow on wheels. Its panoramic windows and glass roof is amazing. Its interior is refreshing with an astounding touch of transparency and glows in the dark, making it safe for pedestrians, which also facilitates a more intimate relationship between people and their cars.

I'm a true blue minimalist when travelling, which is why I specially admires Puyo's minimalist design that features an ultra-high efficiency and fuel cell technology that is environmentally friendly - using hydrogen gas that emits only water and heat when it is combusted. The joystick enables intuitive steering, featuring 360-degree rotation mode (check out the video below!), which makes parallel parking a piece of cake.

PUYO promises to provide a different driving experience. When vehicle starts up, the elastic qualities of the fabric will rise up, giving it a 3D experience. Equipped luminous fluid meter displays and a panel monitor that rises up when the car starts and retracts when ignition is cut. Driven with a joystick instead of a steering wheel, which will also glow in different colors depending on it's running or stand still.

And of course, it's more of a cute car than a cool sports one. Let's all wait for it to be launched in the market.

In 2020.

Aaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!