Confirmed: This is the 2010 Toyota Prius
Posted Oct 16th 2008 12:32PM by John Neff
Click above for gallery of the 2010 Toyota Prius
Jalopnik is reporting this morning that images published last night on the web of what appeared to be the next-generation 2010 Toyota Prius are, in fact, the real deal. Toyota PR reportedly confirmed to the website that what we're looking at is the same car that will be revealed in January at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show. We've also included some spy shots in the gallery below that would seem to corroborate this.As Damon pointed out last night, the new design is an evolution of the current model that incorporates some recent favorite styling cues of Toyota designers like the bulbous badge housing up front. The interior, however, is a marked step away from the current model's spaceship controls, and thankfully eschews that car's dash-mounted shifter for a new one properly placed on the buttressed center console. Mechanically speaking, the new Prius is expected to arrive with a more powerful gas engine, bigger electric motor and, despite continuing to use nickel-metal hydride rather than lithium-ion batteries, improved fuel efficiency. It is the Prius after all.
UPDATE: Toyota has confirmed publicly on its Open Road Blog that these shots are indeed the 2010 Prius.
[Source: Jalopnik, Thanks for the spy pics, Jason and Merritt!]
Reader Comments (Page 3 of 5)
Bryan 1:02PM (10/16/2008)
Those fog lamps make my eyes bleed.
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PeterG 1:23PM (10/16/2008)
Looks better than the old one.
Not looks that count anyway. MPG Improvements? Performance improvements?
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N 1:12PM (10/16/2008)
370Z lights, Yaris front grill, inset-foglamps (must cause major aerodrag), and a Prius rear-end ...Yay!
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Patrick 1:13PM (10/16/2008)
The headlights look different in the first 2 pix. I don't think Toyota would go w/ Maxima knock-off headlights so quickly, without seeing if the public likes them. I think the 2nd picture's headlights are more accurate. Still, that thing is ugly. Who knew that the Aztek was going to lead to the shape of hybrids a few years later.
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David 1:17PM (10/16/2008)
My eyes! That olooks hideous-even worse than the current generation.
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Jeremy 1:18PM (10/16/2008)
I am all for a car company using it's theme across all their lineup, but this just doesn't work. All the toyotas look like pugs in the front, or like the hood may blow off at any second. It's sad that toyota is using the aerodynamic card as an excuse to just redo the front and rear. I would have at least changed the windows just before the c-pillar to make it different than the one that is out now.
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gerrrg 9:57PM (10/16/2008)
For the record, image 1 does not match image 2 when you look closely at the headlights.
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why not the LS2LS7? 1:23PM (10/16/2008)
Outside is ugly, and the shifter is stupid. The shifter should be moved to where it doesn't take useful space. Like on the steering column. No one is going to be racing this thing, so you don't need to do anything other than park, reverse or drive.
A 60s Corvair could have buttons on the dash to change gears, a 2010 Prius can't?
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Travis Rassat 4:37PM (10/16/2008)
I agree about the shifter - why do we have to waste space on shifters in any automatic anymore? Give me an extra cup holder!
TerpFan 2:41PM (10/16/2008)
Umm, I'm no genius but those who are commenting here sure do make me feel like one...
In case you don't have any sense of aerodynamics, you're not going to design a pretty car that is both aerodynamic AND has plenty of space. Hint: you don't need to go to engineering school to figure that one out. There have been plenty of published interviews with the designers validating this point.
Argue all you want over which is better looking --the Volt, the Insight or the Prius. At the end of the day, they all look like turds to me. BUT those who buy these things aren't buying them for looks or style -- they are buying them for efficiency.
My girl has a Prius b\c that's what she wants -- I could care less. That being said, I don't complain about the 50mpg on the highway.
The comments about styling for alternative vehicles cracks me up. I guess a bunch of people without anything better to do...
M
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D-Rock 3:05PM (10/16/2008)
WHY WHY WHY!!! Can't car makers build a hybrid that ( older generation and women drivers will like this car:)) inspires passion for the road? Instead they cater to gender and age. Come on, give me something I can get excited about and that gives me the desire to get into the drivers seat and go for a drive. I'm not saying it has to be a Mustang or Camaro or BMW, but hell there are a lot of 4 cylinder cars that look better than this. I'd get a Tahoe before this Toyota.
I just hope someone gets the balls to build something worth cheering about.
Who said in the industry that HYBRID=WERID!
Dennis 1:32PM (10/16/2008)
Whats new, all the Toyota haters come out of the wood work yet again when a Toyota story, any Toyota story is run. You will say you hate the way it looks no matter what they did. I cant wait till the big 3 finally goes under and takes the useless UAW low lifes with them.
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Noah 1:40PM (10/16/2008)
The Toyota/Honda 4-step design method:
1. Can I make it attractive? No
2. What then? Make it weird-looking!
3. ?
4. Success!
Good thing Toyotas are reliable, otherwise I don't see anybody buying them.
Also, I noted about 5 other folks seeing inconsistencies between photos (headlights). Autoblog, please comment!
shethj 2:18PM (10/16/2008)
People are commenting becasue the car is ugly. Your are obviously angry and insecure if you feel that anyone who criticizes a Toyota design is a fan of the big 3 or the UAW. tHat has to be one of the dumbest things I have read on here all week. The car is odd looking and Toyota continues to show they dont have a handle on styling. The Insight and Volt look better. Toyotas sell on reputation and little else. The Prius is one of the few cars they make that actually backs up the hype but this one is going to face a much tougher market than the first car.
Johnnie 1:43PM (10/16/2008)
U G L Y
You aint got no alibi.
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vavavavroom 1:47PM (10/16/2008)
I see Toyota lately has been emphasizing that subtle hood bulge that tapers toward their insignia. I don't know what to make of it as a part of the overall design theme; I just call it a vagina bulge.
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David 1:49PM (10/16/2008)
Two words, Butt Ugly!
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Rev 2:00PM (10/16/2008)
I think it look good (for a Prius). They took some Corolla/Camry cues and added some interesting lines/curves to it. The side and front look quite a bit better. Nicer wheels, too.
Whatever - it's just a Prius - it's never going to be pretty...
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Dan 2:06PM (10/16/2008)
The people that these cars are targeted for really don't care about the design of their cars. They are more concerned on fuel economy, how eco-friendly it is, their status in their circle of friends, price, then design last.
Actually the uglier and more future/aero/different it looks the more these people will like it.
If the Aztec was an all battery, eco-friendly car it would sell like hot cakes.
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HAWC1506 2:14PM (10/16/2008)
A pig with a lipstick is still a pig.
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