Japan's top automaker believes technological breakthroughs, such as hydrogen engines, can give internal combustion a new lease on life — saving jobs as well as the environment.

A ripple of production suspensions will dent output across the country in July, as Mazda, Subaru, Nissan and Mitsubishi battle the bottleneck.

Japan's automakers are stoking R&D investment to meet mounting demand for a staggering array of technologies. Toyota by far outpaces the pack.

The Corolla Cross H2 Concept is just one of many advancements in hydrogen combustion that Toyota rolled out at Fuji Speedway. Toyota is about 40 percent of the way toward commercializing its hydrogen combustion technology, a top executive says.

A product blitz starting this year will transform Mazda's global lineup. It's going with larger and electrified vehicles that it bets will boost U.S. sales to record levels in just four years.