Rumors of a separate brand to carry only hybrids has apparently been ruled out by Toyota. The brand and its dealerships would have carried the Prius logo that has become so synonymous with hybrid cars since Toyota introduced the world to the car in 1997. Previous rumors had indicated that Toyota would launch the Prius brand much as it had the Scion moniker a few years ago.

Despite the end of Prius-brand discussions, the automaker still has big plans for its line of hybrid vehicles. Autocar reports that a wagon, small MPV (like a minivan, but without sliding doors) and a coupe are all likely additions to the current 5-door hatchback that we all know and love.

Also off the table, at least according to Miguel Fonseca, Toyota managing director in the UK, are lithium ion batteries. Fonseca mimics what we've been hearing from the automaker for the last few years, that lithium ion units aren't quite ready for mass production. Whatever the case, the third-gen Prius is still on target to debut in January at the Detroit Auto Show and is expected to be both larger and more efficient than the outgoing model.

[Source: AutoCar]

Finally! Some actual interesting images of the new 2010 Toyota Prius, along with a couple of videos that we've pasted after the break. We already had a pretty good idea of what the hybrid hatch would look like, but there are a few more details revealed in these new images. We also get to see more shots of the interior, which reveal the huge center console and mid-mounted digital gauge cluster, as well as a few different shots of what will be displayed there. One particularly interesting bit is the key fob, which will have a button to keep the air conditioning active while the car is parked. Our assumption is that the AC will be powered electrically using the roof-mounted solar panels. That's definitely a unique feature that will be particularly useful to those of us who live in sunny and hot climates. Thanks for the tip, Danny!


[Source: Prius Chat]

<Seinfeld> What's the deal with all these new car teasers? </Seinfeld> Seriously, between Ford's ridiculously slow reveal of the new 2010 Mustang GT and Toyota's just plain ridiculous early 2010 Prius teasers, we're becoming less and less interested when each new non-revealing image is released. Still, it's our job to reports on such things, so without further ado, here are the fifth and sixth officially released shots of various Prius bits.

Teaser image 5 was revealed on November 3rd and shows a new translucent blue shifter, complete with the requisite B-Mode, which allows for the driver to choose how much engine braking the car uses as opposed to regenerative and friction braking alone. See here for a much more detailed explanation. Teaser image 6 shows a set of digital gauges that are either mounted in the dash or as part of a heads-up display. We'll know for sure at the Detroit Auto Show in January when the third-gen Prius is officially revealed in all its glory.


[Source: John's Stuff]

Toyota and its team of Prius designers have decided to continue on unabated with the agonizingly slow and seemingly meaningless teaser images of its next-gen Prius hybrid. To recap, first we saw the display boot-up screen, which was followed by a random switch and then what appears to be a mind-control device of some kind. Fine, so we made that last part up, but the point is that we really don't know what it is and why it's important, much like this fourth shot that can be seen above. We think that this latest teaser is a front seat, complete with power adjustment of some sort. Forward and back, tilt... secret ejector... not sure. At least we get a mildly interesting look at the door sill plate, which looks stamped from metal with the Prius logo. In any case, we expect to see the real thing live and in person at the Detroit Auto Show in January.

[Source: Prius Chat]

Here's an interesting little tidbit that we ran across today: Auto Express is reporting that Toyota will continue to offer the current-gen Prius alongside its newer version, at least in the UK. The previous car would see its price lowered in response to the upcoming new Insight hybrid from Honda, which is expected to undercut Toyota's seminal hybrid by at least £3,000. If this rumor turns out to be true, expect Toyota to match that price point with its entry-level Prius. We have no idea if this could also be true for other markets, including the U.S.

Reading between the lines a bit, perhaps it would make some sense for current Prius intenders to wait just a bit longer so that they can either get the price break on the current-gen hybrid from Toyota or get the newer model for around the same price. We just have to wonder, assuming that this report is factual, if Toyota had intended to announce it until closer to the time the new Prius goes on sale, which is expected to be around mid-year '09.

[Source: Auto Express]

Toyota seems to be following the same pattern with the new Prius that Ford has done for the last couple of months with the new Mustang: dribbling out a steady stream of close-up teaser shots. Following the display boot-up screen and a switch we now have the image you see above. My first thought was a radar sensor for adaptive cruise control. However, given the way it's mounted, this is more likely to be on the inside of the vehicle. As such this is probably a heads up display projector or possibly a lane departure warning camera. What do you guys think?

[Source: CleanMPG.com]

It's been confirmed by our friends over at Jalopnik that the pictures you see above and in our gallery are in fact shots of the new 2010 Prius, which is set to debut officially at the Detroit Auto Show in January. Clearly, the new car's overall shape was carried over from the current model that began sales in 2004. It's probably a good idea to keep the profile very similar, considering that the Prius has become such an icon of green motoring and is instantly recognizable. What the Japanese auto giant has done is add new details and a bit more of its current design language to the aerodynamic lines of its older siblings. All we have are low-resolution shots to go on for now, so the real test is still ahead as we first lay our eyes on it in person. More to come.


[Source: Jalopnik]

What you are looking at here may well be the first unofficial, official image of the third (fourth according to Toyota) generation Toyota Prius. The original hybrid isn't supposed to debut until we get to Detroit in January, but three images that look like they may well be authentic have turned up on Prius forum. The shape we see here certainly fits with the camouflaged spy photos we've seen so far. The basic shape looks much like the current Prius, but the front has been re-shaped. The nose of the car fits in with the look of other current Toyotas but doesn't seem to carry over much from the Hybrid X concept that appeared at Geneva 2007. If these photos are to be believed the interior unfortunately also carries over the interior concept of the current car with the center mounted gauges. We've contacted Toyota for a comment, but we don't seriously expect anything other than a no comment. If we do learn anything more we'll be sure to let you know. Thanks to Rafih for the tip!


[Source: PriusChat]

While we recognize there is a significant pent-up demand for information about Toyota's next Prius, due to debut in January at the Detroit Auto Show and go on sale as a 2010 model, we'd prefer Toyota just keep pics like this to itself. Until the Prius team is ready to show something really interesting, this tactic is nothing short of boring, much like the last teaser. Looking at the shot, our best guess is that this is a toggle button for the sunroof, or possibly the rear hatch. Perhaps there is something special about what this button will do, but unless Toyota's willing to let us in on it, we're going to chalk this one up as a complete non-event. It's like showing us what the back of the headrest will look like. Moving on...

[Source: GreenHybrid]

Automotive engineers who are currently working on hybrid drivetrains have a bit of a conundrum on their hands. Should they make the most of the battery pack's available power to eke the highest mileage possible or should they configure the electronics to offer the best performance? Generally speaking, the right answer falls somewhere in the middle of the two extremes, but that doesn't make the job any easier. Where is the perfect compromise between sportiness and efficiency? If sales are any indication, hybrids should lean more on their fuel mileage capabilities than on their sportiness, as the Prius clearly does in its second-generation model that's currently for sale.

Toyota's third-gen Prius, though, will somehow manage to be both more efficient and sportier. Toyota has had a few years now to tweak its Hybrid Synergy Drive and has created both performance hybrids and super-efficient hybrids from the technology. According to Toyota managing director Miguel Fonseca, the next Prius will emit less than 100 g/km of CO₂ while offering sportier performance. The automaker could have gone even lower, and rumors indicate that a second, even lower carbon emitting model will in fact be available in Europe.


[Source: AutoMotoPortal]

We have already garnered so many technical details regarding Toyota's next-generation Prius hybrid sedan that we are getting pretty antsy to see the vehicle in the flesh. Though it is still heavily camo'd, the first real spy pics of the green halo-car have been snapped, and we can definitely recognize the iconic windswept shape which has become a Prius hallmark. Not entirely visible are the roof-mounted solar cells which are rumored to make it into production. Although the new car will grow a bit in size and get a mildly enlarged engine, efficiency is expected to increase and nickel metal hydride batteries will continue to be used in lieu of the newer but as-yet unproven lithium-based units. Expect the official V.3 Prius debut in January at the Detroit Auto Show. Also planned are a Lexus version of the Prius along with additional models which could make the Prius a sub-brand in Toyota's line of cars and trucks.

[Source: NextAutos]

The new 2010 Toyota Prius will be unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show next January along with a Lexus badged derivative. When the third (or fourth depending on whether you count the original U.S. model as a second gen) Prius debuts it will retain the current hybrid setup with a nickel metal hydride battery pack. The gas engine is expected to be updated and grow from the current 1.5L to 1.6L. The five door hatchback body style is also expected to grow a bit although the fuel economy is not expected to suffer. If the rendering produced by Car and Driver is anything to go by, not much of the new Prius design will come from the Hybrid-X concept that Toyota showed at the 2007 Geneva Motor Show. In 2010, Toyota will start building a few hundred Priuses with lithium ion batteries and plug-in capability for commercial and government fleet testing. A high volume retail version won't appear until 2011-12.

[Source: Car and Driver]

Click on the photo for a gallery of high-res images of the Hybrid-X Concept

There's a good deal that we already know about Toyota's next Prius. For instance, we expect it to make its formal debut in 2009 at the Detroit Auto Show, along with a possible Lexus sister. We know that Toyota plans to increase production by 60 percent in 2009. We also expect Prius V.3 to be equipped with nickel metal hydride batteries to start, though lithium ions could go into the Lexus model. A recent article on Auto Observer reinforces all of these points and adds that Toyota is planning to increase the displacement of the new Prius' internal combustion engine to 1.8 liters from today's 1.5 liters. This should offer twenty-five extra horsepower from the engine, pushing total power to a combined 160 horses. Even with the added gumption, the next Prius is expected to post an efficiency increase of around 10 percent, possibly achieving 50-55 miles per gallon in the real world.

The next-gen Prius is expected to grow a bit larger and could get a wagon option as well, though the assorted hybrid bits will actually decrease in size. If the next Prius grows too large for your needs, rumors indicate that a smaller hybrid under the Prius banner is also possible. Auto Observer quotes an anonymous source as suggesting that the next generation Prius is "still Prius-eque, but a bit bigger and more solid looking." The current Prius' styling is an acquired taste, but most consider Gen-2 better looking than Gen-1. We have high hopes for the next Prius redesign, and the possible Prius brand as well.

[Source: Auto Observer]