Toyota to show new member of Prius family in Detroit

2010-10-15

Toyota Motor Corp. will reveal the next model in what will become a family of Prius hybrid cars at the Detroit auto show in January. The Japanese automaker recently showed U.S. dealers two new Toyota Prius gas-electric models " a compact Prius and a lift back that's slightly larger than the current midsize Prius car. The bigger model will be on display at the North American International Auto Show, according to company officials. "It's an all-new model with more comfort, style and versatility," said Don Esmond, senior vice president of Toyota Motor Sales USA in Torrance, Calif. The new Prius is one of seven hybrids that Toyota plans to produce before the end of 2012, including a plug-in version of the current Prius car. Toyota is the world's leading manufacturer of hybrids; at the end of June, it had sold 2.6 million hybrids around the world. But the automaker plans to match rivals coming out with extended-range plug-ins and electric cars, such as General Motors Co.'s Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Motor Co.'s electric Leaf car, which go on sale in December. It's not clear, Esmond said, whether the Volt and Leaf will attract the same people who buy hybrids. Jesse Toprak, vice president for industry trends at TrueCar.com, said the Volt and the Leaf would probably attract some potential hybrid buyers, but Toyota already had a proven success in the Prius. Toyota's own experience showed that car buyers preferred the easy-to-refuel Prius over an all-electric RAV4 SUV that the automaker offered for lease a few years ago, Esmond said. "When they wanted to go to Santa Barbara, they didn't want to spend the night in Ventura." But Toyota will display an all-new, electric RAV4 at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November that it plans to put on the market before the end of 2012. By then, it plans to sell a small all-electric car, as well as the plug-in Prius, which is expected to cost between $3,000 and $5,000 more than a traditional hybrid. "As good as hybrids are, we know they alone won't solve all our environmental issues," Esmond told the Automotive Press Association. "Rather than putting all of our eggs in one basket, we are developing a wide range of advanced technologies." The pace will depend on the availability of refueling stations. By 2015, Toyota plans to offer leases on fuel-cell vehicles in areas where hydrogen stations have been installed. Toyota engineers are reporting substantial progress in the development of zero-emission fuel-cell technology, Esmond said. "That could be the real home run in the marketplace." CHRISTINE TIERNEY The Detroit News