It seems that the U.K. automotive press has been all over the upcoming fourth-generation Toyota Prius while the U.S. folks remain asleep behind the wheel.
Just today a new set of spy images have emerged showing off the heavily camouflaged Toyota Prius undergoing its first stages of testing. Obviously details are well hidden but the interior is — as we've mentioned before — more refined and looking a bit European a la Lexus' most recent interior design trends.
Autocar seems to suggest that this means Toyota will be moving the Prius upmarket. That would be a pretty sensible move given that the Lexus HS didn't take off and the Prius has a large and loyal fan base. From where we're sitting, to us it's clear that Prius has itself become a brand with the V and C.
We're a ways off from any hints on the powertrain but rumors have said up to 90 mpg (I am assuming that's U.K. mpg) and a potential all-wheel drive system that can be switched on/off. Of course, this is pure speculation. As is the theory that the NS4 Concept will largely inspired the next-gen Prius.
Despite the heavy camouflage, it is clear that the model keeps its aerodynamic wedge shape, with a sharply raked windscreen and flat rear end, while the interior borrows much from the Lexus CT200h to reflect the Prius’s more premium positioning in the Toyota range.
The top half of this test mule's dashboard is pure Lexus, but the centre console sees the controls significantly repositioned, suggesting the production car could feature a lower centre console than its upmarket cousin...
Read Article