Toyota Prius: The Next Generation

Motoring Channel Staff - 17/October/2008

Tokyo, Japan — Photos of Toyota's new generation Prius hybrid car were leaked on to the Internet a couple of days ago, and Toyota's American PR division has released a statement confirming that this indeed the new Prius:

"Many of you will have seen by now photographs on sites like PriusChat, Jalopnik and AutoblogGreen of a vehicle said to be the new Prius. We thought we’d take a moment to confirm that the car shown in these unauthorized photos – at least the ones we’ve seen so far - is indeed the new Prius. 

"Sorry, we’re not able to provide details. 

"Those will be forthcoming when the car is formally introduced at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January. What we can tell you, however, is this: This new Prius will retain all of the virtues of the model that precedes it. 

"It’s about the same size as its forebear, but with more interior room and better fuel economy. But you expected nothing less, right?"

There has already been much conjecture in the past few days about the design of the second generation Toyota Prius, expected to be on sale later in 2009, and much of it has been luke-warm at best.

The design is not really that different from the original Prius, and reasons for this are unclear. 

Viewed from the side, the new Toyota Prius has an almost identical silhouette to the previous model. 

The only major external updates are the headlight clusters and presumably the brake lights, and they appear to be borrowed from the Corolla. Perhaps the financial crash is already effecting the world's largest automaker?

It is possible that Toyota wanted to keep the vehicle's overall look so the everyman on the street would recognise the vehicle, as the Prius does have a distinct design.

However, the appearance of the vehicle will be far less important than how it operates and as Toyota's statement indicates, it will be more fuel efficient than its predecessor. 

It will need to be more efficient, especially with Honda's Insight arriving in 2009, which looks better and is expected to deliver next generation mileage on par with the new Prius.

We can expect some new advances in Toyota's 'Hybrid Synergy Drive' that may allow the vehicle to run at higher speeds on pure electricity, but more interior room will also appeal to family buyers looking to lower their fuel bills.

Using twin motors, one electric and one petrol, the Prius hybrid vehicle can significantly reduce fuel consumption by shutting down the petrol engine and running its electric motor.

Hybrids such as the Toyota Prius and Honda Insight are seen as stepping stone technologies. The ultimate goal for car makers is to deliver zero emission vehicles that run on electric engines.

Stay tuned to the Motoring Channel, as we'll have all the details on Toyota's crucial new hybrid car when it launches at the 2009 North American International Auto Show in Detroit early in '09.

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