Subaru and Nissan joining hybrid march at Tokyo Auto Show

Hybrid sedans have long since moved beyond mere compacts, and the Tokyo Auto Show, opening October 21, plans to showcase two exciting concept cars from Japanese automakers Subaru and Nissan.

On October 12, Subaru gave the auto world its first glimpse of their highly anticipated Hybrid Tourer concept car, featuring a turbocharged engine that is expected to become a common feature of future Subaru cars, according to the car website Autoblog.

Even though the Japanese automaker is prominent worldwide, the company is something of a latecomer to hybrid technology, with the intriguingly powerful Tourer marking its first hybrid vehicle.

The car features seating for four, gull-wing doors to showcase a stylish interior and "specialized shielding" in the dashboard designed to reduce the eyestrain of the driver.

Details such as fuel efficiency, range on just electric power and production plans are expected to be announced at the show.

Another four-door sedan with hybrid intentions to be unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show is the Nissan Fuga.

The Fuga is currently slated for the Japanese market only, with a gasoline version available this fall and a hybrid version in autumn 2010. Full details, including pricing, will be revealed at the Tokyo show.

But the Fuga is essentially, with minimal changes, the Japanese version of the recently announced Infiniti M35 luxury saloon (which will not be shown at the Tokyo fair).

The M35 will be the debut of the new M line across 33 countries in 2010. Infiniti, Nissan's luxury brand, will offer the M model in hybrid form in those markets in 2011, making it Infiniti's first-ever hybrid.