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2010 Toyota Prius revealed in leaked photos: What's new?
Toyota has been coy about the appearance and features of its upcoming 2010 Prius hybrid vehicle, but somehow these pics leaked out. The photos show a Prius that's about the same shape as its predecessor, with wedgier-looking headlights and some nice-looking fog lamps that reside in what looks like a jet engine intake. There was no further word about its plug-in capabilities or that solar battery-charging roof.
On the inside — which Toyota says is roomer than the current Prius — we see a big improvement: the shifter is almost in a conventional location (see gallery below), compared to the goofy in-dash position of today's Prius. We also like that swooping dash with the gauges embedded closer to eye level, taking cues from the gorgeous Honda Civic Hybrid interior.
Under the hood, Toyota says it'll goose up the total horsepower to 150 from today's 110 and get better mileage, but still use those old-fashioned nickel hydride batteries rather than the more trendy and efficient lithium ion. Oh, well, rumors swirl that the newer batteries could be on the way, and rightfully so if this iconic car means to do battle with the upcoming Chevy Volt. The car looks okay, but we're just wishing Toyota would have taken a few more design chances than this.
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By CoolProducts at 12:55 PM ON 10/17/08
I'll tell you what's new. If true, this car has a MUCH more attractive design that will even draw in people, such as myself, who always thought the Prius was kind of.. ugly.
By cerebral_but_dull at 2:22 PM ON 10/17/08
I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but I can't understand this "Prius is ugly" stuff. To me it's one of the few attractive cars out there. The 1001 other cars that all look just exactly the same are where the problem is, and I hate to see the Prius trying to look like a Malibu.
Speaking of tech, does the anti-spambot box really need to be so impossible? After 5 tries of whether they were deformed r's or deformed i's, I had to give up.
By madeo at 6:19 AM ON 10/18/08
I was hoping to see the solar panel implemented on the new Prius or some new technology to help power the car. Based on this photo, this doesn't seem the case. I'm a bit dissappointed.
By GreenOfaKind at 6:54 AM ON 10/18/08
We own the Prius and love everything about it - besides the gas-economy and tech, a big plus is how much it actually holds over a conventional car. The hatchback and fold-down rear seats to make one giant trunk space truly makes this car versitle. The look of the car is just fine - it's not like it's a bubble-car in a sea of Volvos. I was expecting a tad more exterior modifications for the 2010 model but can see that they want mass-appeal. The interior looks better though seems with less storage space with the wrap-around dash/console. The center-screen is more angled so glare will be a bigger problem and the gear-selector looks a little silly just popping up like that (looks dangerously close to an arm-swing) - should go back on the dash by the wheel... or be allowed to retract or something.
By Skeeterbytes at 7:41 PM ON 10/19/08
Anybody looking for a dramatic, attractive makeover doesn't follow Toyota. They specialize in relatively bland, inoffensive styling that they can sell in very large amounts. Whatever cutting edge styling they engage in is done through Lexus, although it can be argued that that brand too, is quite tame compared to the competition.
Whatever, they'll continue to sell loads of Prii, even if it's the mildest of makeovers.
By rytmitz at 11:50 PM ON 10/20/08
This car's personality is quite relevant on its competitors, but I much prefer this one.
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rytmitz:
This car's personality is quite relevant on its competitors, but I much prefer this one....More »