Upcoming Toyota lineup

The same way the current Prius doesn't simply share the 1.5L engine of the Yaris (as claimed in the inaccurate article) but an Atkinson cycle derivative of it, there's no way they're going to use a standard Otto cycle Corolla 1.8L I4 in its place. We can assume it's still going to be an Atkinson cycle I4, either 1.6L or 1.8L, maybe derived from a Corolla engine of the same bore and stroke. It's still going to be efficient.

However, if the engine's rated peak performance is higher, the average load in day to day use should move further from the efficiency peak.

Toyota engineers specifically gave the Prius a relatively small engine to keep it running closer to its peak efficiency more of the time. Therefore I'm also skeptical if that bigger engine is a good move in terms of MPG / km per L. A bigger engine should make it harder though not impossible to come up with improved fuel efficiency for the new model.

 

What if that 1.8 litre I4 engine is tuned to produce power at lower revs and the electric side of the HSD has more power and more battery capacity to allow the ICE to be off more and the electric side used more?

Toyota have already managed more power, more space and more economy in 2003 so why not again in 2008/9?

I know that we are surrounded by very clever people on PC but I put my faith in the team at Toyota, just like I have for the last 25 years to produce the goods.

ZenMachine, isn't it time the people of the USA got with the program? The rest of Americans are conversant with the SI system, it's only the good OLDE US of A that are dragging the chain on both continents. (North and South America, I knew someone wouldn't know.)