New Prius Due by Year-end

Toyota Motor Corp. hasn't announced when it will introduce the fourth-generation Prius hybrid car. But Jim Lentz, who heads the automaker's North American operations, hints it will be later this year, countering media speculation that the program had been delayed.

Lentz notes that Toyota has rolled out a new Prius about every six years since it launched the iconic nameplate in 1997. The current Prius was launched in 2009. If Toyota maintains its usual schedule, a public unveiling of the next model could occur late this year at the Tokyo or Los Angeles auto shows.

The next Prius could look like Toyota's C-HR concept car. (right).

Lentz declares the new model "fantastic" to drive, with more style and a lower center of gravity. He also says the revamped Prius will be more fuel efficient though not 15% better as media reports have suggested. The current model is rated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency at 50 mpg in combined city/highway driving.

Design cues for the new Prius could come from the C-HR concept crossover vehicle Toyota showed last year at the Paris auto show.

Despite slowing sales of hybrid and electric vehicles in the wake of low fuel prices, Toyota has no plans to delay such models, Lentz says. The company's current lineup of 13 hybrid cars and crossover vehicles account for more than 13% of its sales volume.