Toyota is giving the Turkish Letrons project a run for its money in the field of transforming cars. Nagoya Toyopet (NTP) unveiled a mecha version of the versatile and popular Hiace van as its official character.

Actually, there is no confirmation that NTP has made a real transforming car, but the company is utilizing Sliger Robo for marketing purposes. The robot teams up with Super Sentai -style heroes known as Slide Sentai Sligers to promote NTP vehicles with sliding doors. The company is streaming two promotional videos that feature the characters.

The giant robot character seeks to promote traffic safety. The robot can shoot light beams from its eyes in the same way that Hiace's brights can improve visibility for drivers at night and locate pedestrians. In its transformed form, Sliger Robo stands seven meters (about 23 feet) tall and weighs 3,045 kilograms (about 3.4 tons).

NTP previously released reflectors as limited-edition goods, and the character debuted for the general public in October. Most recently, a statue of the character appeared at the Tebasaki Summit event, which was held in Nagoya, Aichi on June 9-11.

Source: Internet Com via Hachima Kikō

Robot image via @kuraua_806