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Toyota Ponders a Zippier Design for Prius
Toyota Corp. is mulling whether to give its Prius hatchback a mild design makeover or make a more dramatic change in the hybrid's appearance, Bloomberg News reports.
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Toyota Corp. is mulling whether to give its Prius hatchback a mild design makeover or make a more dramatic change in the hybrid's appearance, Bloomberg News reports.
Chris Hostetter, who heads Toyota's strategic planning in the U.S., tells the news service the company has detected an "undercurrent" of interest among consumers for a new Prius look.
The car, which debuted as a sedan in Japan 15 years ago, has barely changed from the current hatchback design introduced in 2003. Toyota is still considering a range of options for the next-generation hatchback due about a year from now, according to Hostetter. The short timetable suggests only a modest design update, however.
He says next year's model will mark the debut of a new modular platform intended to make it easier to expand the Prius model lineup. Hostetter tells Bloomberg the NS4 plug-in hybrid concept car that Toyota unveiled at the Detroit auto show in January includes elements of the new chassis.
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