Toyota bags a safety first

Toyota has pushed the boundary for car safety forwards by revealing what it says is the world's first rear seat centre airbag.

The airbag deploys from a large, fixed centre console and is designed to stop passengers colliding with each other in a side-on impact. Toyota has already played a leading role in the introduction of driver's knee airbags, while the IQ has a unique rear window airbag.

Toyota says that the new system 'will feature in particular Toyota models in the future,' but it's not yet clear which cars it will be introduced in, or when. It's only suited to big four-seaters, so it's unlikely to feature on any of Toyota's current line-up. Future Toyota models or Lexus saloons would seem a more likely fit.