If there's a Suzuki to covet, it's the Suzuki Swift hatchback, which has attained a reputation as a poor man's Mini Cooper in Europe and Japan. Suzuki will show a plug-in hybrid version of the Swift at the 2009 Tokyo Auto Show.

The most interesting thing we know about this concept car is the packaging of its lithium-ion batteries — right down the middle of the car in the center console. This could potentially make it doable to have a pair of rear seats in the car, though that's not clear from the photos.

As the plug-in Swift is a series hybrid, there's a 658cc gasoline engine on-board to power the front-drive electric motor when the batteries run low on charge and you're not near a suitable electrical outlet. The engine apparently has a generating capacity of 40 kilowatts (54 hp). The front-drive electric motor has an output of 74 hp, according to Suzuki.

More photos after the jump.