Tough to tell from those shots if there's actually any difference. The rest of the car looks identical to the current generation. I like the sound of an upgraded engine and hybrid system, though I think I'm still glad that I bought a 2008.
Those 'spy photos' look an aweful lot like the Prius II with some white tape on the front....Are they sure it's not just Hobbit working on a new project?
Yep, these are the same photos we saw a long time ago and for some reason reputable news outlets keep picking them up and saying they are the '09 Prius. If this is the 2009 Prius, then the redesign definitely isn't coming until 2010. You don't redesign a front fascia and have a "new generation" car.
2009 Sneak Peak article on Yahoo! As expected, the article doesn't explain a whole lot, but it at least gives some photos of it. I like the more aggressive look to it. Too bad there's no interior shots yet. Better seats with more adjustments perhaps?
Linky Yeah but I'm happy they are taking a step to de-uglify it a bit. The front pillar forward is by far the ugliest part of the car. It is unusual to see a manufacturer make an intermediate design change like this, especially for 1 year. I'm thinking they just don't want to roll out a new generation until they make the big move to PHEV with Ion batteries. It could also mean they are not optimistic about being ready for the '10 MY either.
Re: 2009 Sneak Peak article on Yahoo! And here's the Road & Track article that Yahoo references: Road & Track Magazine - Exposed: 2009 Toyota Prius (5/2008)
I guess replacing the metal hood with aTerry cloth hood will improve MPG's. I also like the areodynamic enhancements to the logo's on the back of the car.
