Mitsuoka Motor's Fusion sleeping/funeral car
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Mitsuoka unveils sleeping/funeral car

8 Comments
By Kaoru Kubono

Mitsuoka Motor Co Ltd has unveiled its Fusion sleeping/funeral car based on minivans.

It features both convenience as a sleeping car and functionality as a funeral car. It can carry a body from a hospital to a funeral home (as a sleeping car) and from the funeral home to a crematory (as a funeral car).

Mitsuoka said it made the Fusion based on Toyota Motor Corp's Alphard, Vellfire, Estima and other minivans. Its price starts from ¥4,665,600.

interior.jpg
The interior of the car

In Japan, two different cars are normally used as sleeping and funeral cars.

"It is difficult to go to the hospital by an apparent funeral car (with consideration for patients in the hospital," Mitsuoka said in a statement. "We considered that, with a car that does not look like a funeral car, it can be used as both sleeping and funeral cars."

Mitsuoka succeeded in designing the sleeping/funeral car without increasing the wheelbases of the original cars. This is the company's first vehicle that can be used for two purposes.

The price of the Fusion is about 30% lower than those of existing funeral cars developed based on Toyota's Crown because the new vehicle does not require major changes such as the cutting of a frame and welding.

"In recent years, inexpensive styles such as 'family funerals' are becoming popular," Mitsuoka said. "With the lower cost of using cars, the cost of a funeral can be lowered."

The Fusion based on the Alphard measures 4,915 (L) x 1,850 (W) x 1,880mm (H), and the length and width of the stretcher/bier are 2,100 and 620mm, respectively. The car is for three passengers.

© Nikkei Technology

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8 Comments
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crematory

I was all prepared to take out my red pen and correct this, as the word for the facility where the body is burned is called a crematorium.

However, a swift Google tells me that a crematory is the name for the machine into which the body is placed for burning. So there you go.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Just bundle the body up in a futon and stick it in the boot/trunk.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Not really sure why such advert is worth to mainly target foreigners here.

Well, they made me comment so I guess this is a win.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Could even go camping in it!

What fun and so versatile...!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Monty Pythons Dead Parrot Sketch springs to mind.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@Burning bush - satirical humour as always ;-)

0 ( +0 / -0 )

FYI: funeral cars are called a Hearse.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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