Back in 2025, the CORLEO was a jaw-dropping showpiece at Kawasaki's stand — a machine nobody could actually ride. Now the project has a ten-year roadmap, and it looks a lot more serious than any trade-show prop: a riding simulator is coming in 2027, a new drivable version is set for Expo 2030 in Riyadh, and a commercial CORLEO is targeted for 2035. Here's the twist: the first people to swing a leg over it may not be private buyers at all, but guests at a dedicated riding park with controlled routes.
The original concept runs on a 150cc hydrogen engine used purely as a generator. Fuel is stored in swappable canisters mounted at the rear, the engine produces electricity, and that electricity powers the actuators in all four legs. Steering works by reading the rider's weight shifts through the footpegs and controls.
But the numbers on the future machine are already drifting away from the show model. At a July briefing, which Japan's TECH+ covered, Kawasaki presented a roadmap that bumps the generator engine's displacement from 150cc to 330cc. The 2027 version will be noticeably bigger than what stood on the show floor.
And that matters more than CORLEO's outlandish looks. Kawasaki isn't promising to put its “robot horse” in regular dealerships by 2035. Selling it directly to private owners looks too complicated for now, so the company is instead eyeing a riding-park launch — a venue where people ride it like an attraction rather than own it outright. One location under discussion is the Qiddiya district near Riyadh.
The halfway point comes sooner, and it's already mapped out step by step. The official SAFE ADVENTURE program calls for a simulator in 2027, and by 2030 Kawasaki wants to bring a new, rideable version of CORLEO to Riyadh. The company is also considering using the machines for the expo's own security staff. By 2035, the machine is supposed to walk, run, jump and handle rough terrain, with tourism and the leisure industry named as the first target market.
So the project has genuinely moved from flashy mock-up to product development. But it's still a long way from an ordinary vehicle. The next real test of Kawasaki's ambitions comes in 2027 — that's when the simulator is due, and we'll finally see just how far the future CORLEO has strayed from its original 150cc concept.
