Toyota to Debut Dedicated Hybrid Concept at 2010 Detroit Auto Show

Seems like we should be seeing some kind of a sideview mirror in that photo...and, if that's a steering wheel I see, it's a very thin one. The photo's intriguing, but it might also be something REALLY ugly.

 

Pardon my ignorance, but I don't understand what this is all about. Isn't the Prius a Dedicated Hybrid? (i.e. no ICE-only version of it.)

Perhaps this is a new non-Prius Hybrid vehicle or a new model, but there isn't enough information to say hardly anything about it

 

Rybold,

Those are good points. Holy!! That's the Hybrid-X! It has the same features you pointed out.



Hybrid-X even has the same badge from the side.

 

Both Hybrid-X concept and this new dedicated hybrid concept have the air intake (for cabin) in the front headlights. Headlights are part of the dash, which is the unique feature I love. It should be very aerodynamic.

Normally, the cabin air comes from vent near the windshield wipers. In this new concept, it does not look like there is room there. Hybrid-X did not have the wipers so this new concept car is closer to production ready.

Hybrid-X is also a bigger car than the Prius. This leads me to believe that this new dedicated hybrid concept will be the larger car of the Prius family.

Hybrid-X also has the license plate "built into" the bumper, not an afterthought. I hope this new concept retain this feature.

 

With respect to bodywork, I'd much prefer something along the
killer flowing horizontal lines of the Hybrid-X as opposed to
something in the IQ/Yaris vertical form. Granted, the Hybrid-X
concept that we've seen is a four door, but ...

I can easily envision a 2-door Hybrid-X to go head to head with
Honda's proposed CR-X concept:

CR-Z Hybrid Sports Coupe Concept - Official Honda Web Site

 

The hood is so short for this concept. It must use the technology from the IQ to fit a bunch of stuffs in a small area.

It may indeed use THS-III. Toyota consider 2010 Prius to have THS-II with speed reduction unit.

 

Let's take a look at these side-by-side. As someone mentioned previously, when you look through the windshield of the "green" car, you can see a B-pillar (front and rear seats, most likely four doors); so, I think we can eliminate the iQ (the iQ as we know it, unless they lengthened the iQ and made a 4-door version). I'm guessing it's an updated, reworked, redesigned version of the Hybrid-X, and likely build onto the Yaris platform. Something important to notice is that on the photo taken from the side, the front end is VERY short. Although, a photoshop "white light" cuts off our view of the front; so we don't know if it really curves down that quickly or whether they edited the photo to make it ambiguous. We do know that the front wheel is very close to the driver (like the iQ and Yaris; not like the Corolla or Camry).







If you look at the larger, original photos, notice the reflections on the car of the surrounding room. Is it just me, or does someone see aliens?
Toyota to Debut Dedicated Hybrid Concept at 2010 Detroit Auto Show | PriusChat

 

Hey, i didn't get one either!!!



RD

 

From the analysis so far, the sneak peak isn't looking too promising. Starting to looking like Toyota is pushing yet another Dorkmobile on the American public. Not like there aren't good or new ideas out there for hybrids. Here's one from Peugeot.

 

Waiting on my invite.

After all, the Toyota people KNOW that I'm fun at these events

 

I think this is what Mr. Toyoda was hinting at when he said he wants Toyota designers to "spice things up" as other automakers have recently come out with some very stylish cars.

 

so you think world would be better place if we got 2 seat coupe from peugot instead of Prius? ;-). I vote for small 5 door hatch based on next generation Yaris platform (itself based on iQ).

 

I don't think any of us want a peugot.

Isn't it time to bring out a more refined hybrid coupe. Shave some of the weight by shrinking the car, think the celica's tiny back seat. Give it some sports sedan steering and suspension. Make the front seats more comfotable, trading cargo and rear seat space. Aim for 40mg instead of 50. Beef up the electric motor so that it can do 75 all electric and get to 60 in 7 seconds using max power. Drop in a 2kwh li battery instead of the nimh and a plug in ability. Make the battery open, so that users can add more battery power to the base vehicle.

 

That's not what Mr. Toyoda meant at all (see other thread, which I'm sure you already have). He meant that the styling department of Toyota needs to spice things up a little (yes, Mr. Toyoda actually said "spice things up.") This has nothing to do with the engine or motor size, nor the mpg. It has to do purely with the styling. This is the interior of a VW: http://www.ridelust.com/wp-content/uploads/vw-passat-cc-08.jpg and this is the interior of a Camry: http://z.about.com/d/cars/1/0/A/n/1/ag_09camry_intleft.jpg
Toyota has been improving their interiors, with the Gen3 Prius and Corolla, BUT they still have a way to go. And, as far as exterior styling goes, I like the S version of the Camry and the Yaris exteriors a lot. The Corolla is "okay." But Mr. Toyoda is trying to say, don't just improve it, "spice it up." Consider the exterior styling of Volkswagen CC: http://www.autofans.us/images/2009%20Chicago%20Auto%20Show/Volkswagen%20CC%20Gold%20Coast%205.jpg (perhaps this image proves the point the best) So you claim the parts and manufacturing of the car in that photo costs a lot more? Okay. Consider the Hyundai Genesis Coupe, which doesn't have all of those fancy parts, yet the styling "spices it up" a little: http://cache.jalopnik.com/assets/resources/2008/05/Hyundai_Genesis_Coupe_SoCalSpy.jpg
Mr. Toyoda is not saying to change who Toyota is; he's saying to add some extra flair into the styling of the current Toyotas. I think the GenIII Prius already accomplished that, but take a look at the Corolla ... plain, and dare I say it (but I can because I own one), generic. The base Camry also looks generic to me, but the expensive S version of the Camry is quite the opposite. The Camry S looks great.
Sure, these are my opinions and more subjective on my critique of the Camry and Corolla, but there are some cars that 99% of people will agree look better than other cars. I think we can all agree that the Gen3 Prius looks (styling) better than the Gen1 Prius. Same for a Corolla versus a Maserati. Mr. Toyoda simply wants his designers (styling) to spice things up more.

 

I have not checked this whole thread but the yellow/green version was on the Aptera Forum. The specs that accompanied the picture was: A 500cc engine, 4 seater, a 4 gal tank and a 600 mile range. This is a PHEV. If the info is correct, that is not theoretical, that works out to 150 MPG, very respectable. The rear was somewhat squared off and I believe, a hatchback with, what looked like an enormous luggage area. Maybe somebody else can find the site on aptera forum.com. There was also a sideview shot of the same vehicle, different color, with sidedoors removed and some other partition across the doors in white, I don't know what that was all about???

 

Agree. Sure, two doors can be slow sellers when compared to four doors, but after way too many years of making only boring Dorkmobiles at Toyota, consumers looking for even the tiniest amount of excitement in their cars now never even consider a Toyota. Since it's only sheet metal, what's to stop Toyota from making a coupe that looks like a Mclaren (pic below) or the Peugeot coupe posted posted previously? It's baffling why Toyota doesn't have at least one interesting - but still inexpensive car. Come on Toyota, where's the bad A$$ Celica?

 

Amazingly, it turned into a Scion, the tC. EEwwww!

 

ft-86?