As sharing services and self-driving car technology change car use and ownership, Toyota's new design chief has told reporters that he believes that vehicles will shift towards either generic boxes on wheels for everyday use or ultra-luxury cars, wiping out the need for mass-market models.

Simon Humphries, responsible for design at the automaker's Toyota and Lexus brands, said that fleets of electric, self-driving shuttle bus-like vehicles could one day eliminate the need for people to drive themselves around on a daily basis.

"On one side we're going to see this optimized (transport) system, but on the other side you're going to see a pure race car," Humphries told reporters.

"There will be an emotional solution, and a practical solution. So maybe the story is that the middle ground is increasingly going to disappear."