The 2010 Toyota Prius, pictured above in a leaked photo, will be officially unveiled at the Detroit auto show in January 2009. The third-generation Prius will be bigger and more powerful. The engine will grow from 1.5 liters to 1.8 liters—giving a boost in horsepower from 110 to 160—and the body will be three to four inches longer and about an inch wider. The combined US fuel economy rating will exceed 50 mpg, by keeping the weight down to current levels and re-engineering the powertrain to extend the range of all-electric gas-free driving.
The next Prius will not offer plug-in capabilities and will continue to use nickel metal hydride batteries, rather than switching to lithium ion batteries. The talk will continue about Toyota offering the Prius in a range of models—from compact to wagon to small SUV and pickup—but don’t expect those models to hit showrooms in 2009.
For greater clarity about these details and additional information, hybrid fans will have to wait until January 2009 or hope that Toyota insiders continue to leak more about the company’s plans.
The Prius drives like a charm, humming along silently in all-electric mode at low speeds and revving up its 110 combined gas-electric horsepower for a respectable 0-to-60 rate of 10.2 seconds.
Its stability control system makes it very safe. And the Prius has loads of bells and whistles, from keyless entry, a high-tech fuel use dash display, and a rear-view camera system to help you squeeze into a tight parking spot.
The most distinguishing feature of the Prius is the "Power" push-button—rather than a key to turn—and the joystick shifter which bounces back in place after selecting “D” to drive. These features are intuitive and partly contribute to the fun of driving the Prius—along with the large dashboard Energy Monitor, which shows the power flow between the hybrid battery pack, electric motor and gasoline engine.
Some Prius drivers complain that the hatchback design limits the visibility through the rear window. They refer to this drawback as the "Prius blind spot." It makes some people crazy and is a non-issue for others. You have to take a test drive to see how it feels to you.
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