The New Toyota Prius

In uncertain times, the multitudes need a hero. In a year when the spot price of light, sweet crude is an hourly news event, the Toyota Prius seems a likely candidate. A new Prius hybrid arrives in 2009 to fight the forces of OPEC and the evil oil empire. If the price of gasoline hits $5 at the pump, buyers are sure to give it a very bigHowdy Doody welcome.

Toyota, a ship so buttoned down it makes the recently departed William F. Buckley Jr. look like Huey Newton, has no plans for radical upheaval. The current Prius is a sellout in all its five-door jelly-bean frumpiness, so the car scheduled to be revealed at the 2009 Detroit auto show will be tweaked mainly to answer minor customer beefs with the current jelly bean. It will be slightly larger, a bit more spacious inside, and trimmed with more luxury options. The engine will grow and become a tad snappier in its sprint while returning even better fuel economy. A plug-in model should arrive in 2010.

Toyota Prius Sedan

Toyota Prius is Most Wanted Car

An auto industry group says Toyota's hugely popular Prius hybrid ranked as Japan's top-selling car in August for the fourth straight month.

The Japan Automobile Dealers Association said Friday the Prius kept the top spot in auto sales with 21,669 vehicles sold.

Honda Motor Co.'s Fit compact was No. 2 in August sales.

The association said gas-electric hybrid cars were selling well in Japan thanks to government subsidies and tax breaks.
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Toyota's Prius Hybrid Number 1 In Sales In Japan

Congratulation to Toyota, especially to Toyota Prius

The Prius ranked top for the first time, the Japan Automobile Dealers Association said. The figure represents the cumulative total for both old and fully remodeled Prius models.

The automaker rolled out the latest version of the Prius hybrid in mid-May amid intense competition with rival Honda Motor Co.'s Insight hybrid hatchback that took the top-seller position in April.

Honda's Insight fell to third place in May, with sales of 8,183 units. The Insight was the first hybrid car to rank top.

Honda's Fit compact car came in second behind the Prius with monthly sales of 8,859 units, the association said.

In the April auto ranking, the Fit was also second, while the Prius ranked 21st.

The latest data showing hybrid cars securing two of the top three slots reflect the growing popularity of fuel-efficient hybrid cars.

All-New 2010 Toyota Prius

Toyota Motor Sales USA has unveiled the all-new 2010 Prius hybrid vehicle at the 2009 North American International Auto Show.

The all-new 2010 Prius is powered by a larger and more powerful 1.8-liter Atkinson-cycle, four-cylinder engine producing 98HP at 5,200rpm and 105lb-ft of torque at 4,000rpm.

The 2010 Prius grows 0.6 inches longer and 0.8 inches wider than the previous model. Toyota promises increased cargo space in the hatchback because of a redesigned cooling system for the hybrid's batteries. Rear legroom increases slightly because of redesigned front seatbacks.

In addition to its hybrid system, the Prius adds new features including adaptive cruise control and a lane-departure warning system.

Power comes from a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine and an electric motor.

Pictures and details of the 2010 Toyota Prius here

Honda Hybrid Vs Toyota Prius

Two hybrid car fight on price!!



Honda's new Toyota Prius fighter, an unnamed compact five-door hatchback, will be priced below the current Honda Civic hybrid, said a top Honda executive on Wednesday.

Richard Colliver, executive vice president of American Honda Motor, told an industry seminar here that the Honda hybrid will be launched in spring 2009, priced lower than the $22,600 Honda Civic hybrid, according to the Associated Press. The Toyota Prius has a base price of $21,500.

The hatchback will be slightly smaller than the Civic, the third-best-selling car in the United States through July with 234,086 sold. The Civic trails only the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord sedans.

Toyota Prius Coming to India

Toyota Motor Corp plans to introduce its hybrid sedan Prius in India as an answer to soaring fuel prices and growing concerns over emissions, a top official at its Indian joint venture said.

The 2008 version of Prius has been adjudged the most fuel-efficient midsize car in the US. Sold in over 40 countries across regions, the hybrid variant has also been rated as the third least carbon dioxide emitting vehicle in Britain.

Positioned between Toyota's Corolla and Camry in the luxury segment, Prius uses an all-electric compressor for cooling. Classified as a super ultra low emission vehicle, the eco-friendly car can be propelled by either petrol and electric power.