BREAKING NEWS! 2010 Prius Photos posted on PriusChat First! Confirmed real!

[cycledrum]

Well, the new one looks 'sportier', which could bring some of the fence-sitters on board.

I sure hope they retain the greatest charm of this car - that a newbie hybrid driver like myself can get 55 MPG average.

[h2photo]

Originally Posted by 9G-man

Cool, but I'm still not liking that center console thing.

I agree with you!!

[B. Roberts]

The minimalist Jetson's interior with the robo ergonomics we are saddled with on the 2nd gen is pretty dated already. As far as I'm concerned, it was dated when I bought mine in 05. After 3 years, it still feels like I'm pulling up a chair to a desk and grabbing the steerng wheel when I get into this car. Dont' get me wrong, I love the car for what it does and how it looks externally. For me, well executed slick aero shapes are pretty nice to look at. Toyota's Xb, sits on the other end of the good looking list, although it's a fine utility box.

If these are legit 3rd gen pictures, I can't see why there's so much whining going on here on Priuschat. Hopefully Toyota has improved the cd #'s, increased MPG figures and refined some of the Prius handling dynamics. If the interior pictures are close to production, bring it on!

Yes, I would prefer a display ahead of the steering wheel. I have never quite figured why any car maker would opt for that center of the dash offset position gage cluster thing. I tried out an Ion and later a Yaris. Don't like looking down to the right to see the gages. I'd rather keep most of my attention on the activities taking place on the road ahead of the car.

The overall look of the new cockpit is great. I really like the console sweeping out of the central dash. I don't live on planet quirky, so a properly mounted drive selector (switch) is A-Ok with me. Just give me at least a 25 mile EV range, and I'll sign up for a 3rd gen!!!!

[efusco]

I don't mind the center console a bit. That space beneath will be plenty handy and I think the shifter will be much easier to access for those of us who manipulate the shifter frequently while driving.

I can't understand the front end styling at all...very hard to imagine that it improves aerodynamics...something I think should have been a goal...

That all said...who's the target audience? None of us sitting here analyzing this thing on Priuschat. They're targeting those who wouldn't buy the Prius before b/c it was too slow or too ugly or too little. They've got us, for the most part...we'll be back, they pretty much know it. But if they can suck in another couple million who were off-put by the draw backs of the Prius II then they've been successful from a business perspective. Maybe that front end is just what people wanted to convince them to buy.

[timcapps]

Originally Posted by Danny

Update #2: Toyota has officially posted on their blog that the photos are real. I have updated the photos with corrected aspect ratios thanks to the work of usbseawolf2000.

UPDATE: A 5th photo has been posted (perhaps the SOS button goes with the ejector seat button we've seen, or could it be an OnStar-type feature that Toyota is launching with the Prius):

wow, putting an SOS button that close to a light switch seems rather brain-dead. I'm reminded of a Far Side cartoon where one guy is pointing to two unmarked buttons on blank wall and is saying to the other guy "Ok, so let me get this straight.. this one turns on the air conditioning, and THIS one destroys the world?"

[EZW1]

Originally Posted by B. Roberts

Yes, I would prefer a display ahead of the steering wheel. I have never quite figured why any car maker would opt for that center of the dash offset position gage cluster thing.

IMHO I think the answer is obvious:
1. There is quite a bit of real estate to play with in the center console
2. Putting the display dead center in front of the driver's view may end up in a few lawsuits over drivers who were distracted watching the display more than the road.

I know this sounds oblique, but I've seen lawsuits over much more trivial, ridiculous things.

[fruzzetti]

It appears there are round knobs in-line with and just to either side of the top of the large screen.

Seriously, what possesses designers to put controls in the worst possible places? Every time you use the knob to control anything you sacrifice screen visibility.

And I don't see in the interior picture any indication that the serious flaw with how you control the AC has been corrected. Many people want a knob that's always accessible because it's faster than clicking through screens and it offers more control than using an AC AUTO feature that thinks it's too smart.

~ dan ~

And seriously, the out-jutting control part of the console, where the shifter is located, is ridiculous -- it's like some sort of quasi-partition, preventing driver and passenger from feeling like they're really together in the same vehicle.

They really should have let me have a hand in nitpicking about the car. I'm a boring white American living near Berkeley (where half of worldwide sales of these cars will occur :P )

[David Beale]

The instruments are often centered because the US isn't the whole world. There are -right hand drive- versions of most cars, including the Prius. While left hand drive units -may- outnumber right hand drive ones, it wouldn't be by enough. Those cars in the past that were "sided", such as my 1993 RX-7, had completely different dashes for each type (as well as a lot of other stuff). Not good for the bottom line.

I wouldn't get too uptight about the SOS button. I doubt it is a GM style nonsense thing using cell. I hear so many complaints of On-Star triggering false warnings. Like when Motorweek was testing a Yukon in the slalom (cones) - and getting a concerned call from the nice lady at On-Star worried that they had just rolled the vehicle.

[DeadPhish]

Originally Posted by efusco

I don't mind the center console a bit. That space beneath will be plenty handy and I think the shifter will be much easier to access for those of us who manipulate the shifter frequently while driving.

I can't understand the front end styling at all...very hard to imagine that it improves aerodynamics...something I think should have been a goal...

That all said...who's the target audience? None of us sitting here analyzing this thing on Priuschat. They're targeting those who wouldn't buy the Prius before b/c it was too slow or too ugly or too little. They've got us, for the most part...we'll be back, they pretty much know it. But if they can suck in another couple million who were off-put by the draw backs of the Prius II then they've been successful from a business perspective. Maybe that front end is just what people wanted to convince them to buy.

This is my opinion as well. The center console is a non-issue. However I am part of the 'hooked' crowd. How does one go back to some 20th Century vehicle that only achieves 3.0 gpc or less?


The key points of for me are :

• increasing the penetration of the Prius, and thus other hybrids, in the general population
• maintaining the 5 door hatch design
• improved fuel economy
• a somewhat quieter ride.

More adjustments in the seating and the steering wheel will be nice
The dash looks cleaner.
I expect the interior room to be equal to the current model, which is good
Additional power is meh...neither here nor there.

[zenMachine]

I too agree with Evan's point. Toyota is certainly not targeting me with this new design. They need to expand the Prius' appeal, and apparently have chosen to do so by giving the next gen more room and more power, which are two often cited criticism by mainstream car buyers. If they can do both while enhancing MPG without a price increase then why not?

As far as the look is concerned, it's all subjective. Many people who own Prius today didn't buy it for its look either. So that probably won't change.

What I'm most interested to find out is whether Toyota has given thoughts to substantive criticisms coming from Prius owners like us about the Gen 2. Things like adjustable seat-height etc.

BTW,

Images posted Wednesday on the Internet offer views of the 2010-model Prius, confirmed Allison Takahashi, a spokeswoman for the automaker's sales unit in the United States, in an interview.

The car is to be unveiled in January at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, she said. Toyota didn't post the photos, Takahashi said.

The new vehicle "is about the same size as its forebear, but with more interior room and better fuel economy," the company said in an e-mail.

Toyota plans bigger, better Prius in 2010 | The Japan Times Online