Like that?　No thanks.

I didn't think they could make the Prius any uglier than its current form. Lets hope it doesn't look as ugly as that concept.

Looks ridiculous, but that is what Prius owners want, something that stands out of the crowd. Now the Prius owner can be even more pretentious, Look at me, I am better than you!

I can't believe Toyota is passing on plug in lithium ion battery tech. 50 MPG is not impressive.

i like it.

I hope the Toyota planners will not listen to any american inputs and built it as is.

Every successive generation of every car by every manufacturer grows in size. It's no surprise the Prius is doing the same.

That's just a concept drawing, it's not the next car.

They should paint all the Priuses with a rainbow to exacerbate their status symbol appearance that S&M alluded to.

I kinda like the looks, but it might appear too bulbous in the flesh. Eh, concepts.

Larger is no surprise. Keeping the same weight would be good, as would increasing the MPG.

Using the Prius name on 3 different models is interesting. Maybe a larger, family oriented wagon, and a smaller, 2 seater like the Honda Insight? I could become very interested in the latter.

The lack of a plug in is unfortunate. It allows GM an opportunity to push the Volt, hopefully they don't screw it up. The new prius doesn't result in the energy independence all those tree huggers want, it helps reduce cost, but a plug in that can make reasonable commutes on battery alone really gives consumers a chance to break free from the gas pumps.

Wonder if they've fixed having to reboot at a stop light?

I want to see them take the good parts from the Prius and stick it into the Corolla. People would eat up a Hybrid Corolla.

Is it just me or does it look like a blowfish?

@chris

Agreed. They must have some skills to make it uglier. Maybe they brought in some of the Pontiac Aztek designers?

@chris... nice one.

On an ugly scale of 1 to 10 I'd rate this one a 2 because I've never seen anything as ugly as a 1 before.

I believe that the people who buy Priuses would buy the next generation even if it looked exactly like the Hybrid X concept pictured. In my experience, people who buy this car buy it so that they can say "I own a Prius." (Please keep in mind that this is NOT meant to be a derogatory statement. To each his own.)

All the arguments that people use to justify the buying of a Prius are pretty questionable other than the one I previously mentioned:

- I'm saving money. -- On gas, yes. Although a person can buy a Hyundai Sonata, Ford Focus, or a Toyota Yaris from $7,000 to $9,000 less than a Prius. It would take 6 or 7 years to recoup the difference in gas money saved and considering the average person will only keep a new car for around 4 to 5 years, that doesn't make sense on paper unless the price of gas gets up in the $5 range (which, I admit, it could).

- I'm helping the environment. -- The emissions on the Prius are quite low (Partial Zero). The same can be said of a good chunk of vehicles being sold (just check the 'driveclean.ca.gov' website.

- It's a good-looking car. -- Hmm........really?

- I don't want to give money to oil companies, terrorists, etc. -- If this were really true, people would buy the Honda Civic GX (it may be a little more expensive than a Prius, but it uses Compressed Natural Gas.)

In summary, in my opinion most people buy Priuses so that they can be a Prius Owner and carry their title proudly. So I'm fairly sure that it will sell no matter what it looks like.

Too bad, in the big picture, hybrids aren't very good for the environment.

@A Guy You Know Named Dave

-Although a person can buy a Hyundai Sonata, Ford Focus, or a Toyota Yaris from $7,000 to $9,000 less than a Prius. It would take 6 or 7 years to recoup the difference in gas money saved

The Yaris is smaller and has fewer features.
The Focus gets 24/33, the Sonata 21/31 to the Prius' 48/45

Gallons per 1000mi (Focus) 42/30
Gallons per 1000mi (Prius) 20/22

So for every 1000 city miles, you loose 22 gallons, and for every 1000 highway miles you loose 8. At $4, that's $88 per month (1056/yr, 5280/5yr), and $32 per month respectively (384/yr, 1920/5yr).

So you would save, on low normal driving, between $2000 and $5200 over the life of the car).

Once I optioned out a Focus (with features found in a Prius by default), it came in around $20k. So we are talking about a savings in purchase price below $4000, meaning in 5 years you would indeed make the money back in gas.

Of course, the Prius has a far higher reliability than the Focus, so you also save money in maintainence. As well, the Prius holds FAR more residual value. At 5 years old, the difference between a Focus and Prius with 60,000 miles is on the order of $5-$10k. Since you've already saved more than the cost difference in gas, that's all "profit".

In fact, this year's Consumer Reports listed the Prius as the cheapest car to buy and own for 5 years. Period.

why dose it have to look like a cartoon? its like a cross between a bug and a animated disney movie.

Although I don't like the look of most hybrids, I actually think that this design of the Prius is more attractive than the current one. The current one looks too gimpy, lumpy, and like an econobox.

I would just like to say I meant a Hyundai Elantra not a Sonata. I apologize for the mistake on my part.

@JerryL:

You make valid points and I agree that the Ford Focus may be one of the worst examples. It just happened to come to mind as I was typing. My stance is that for people who want that size of a sedan there are many choices they could make that were quite a bit cheaper. If a person needs the features that you mention in your post and it comes out to be the price of a Prius, seems logical to get one.

In your stats, what happens when we place a Toyota Corolla? It is the same size (if not bigger) than a Prius and gets around 27 mpg city (I think; not sure) and since it is made by Toyota the depreciation and the maintenance costs are negligible (when compared to a Prius). With the cost being around $14k and the Prius around $21k it seems that it would take longer than 5 years to make up the difference. But there are also other factors that come into the price of owning a hybrid. Hybrid owners pay higher insurance rates (mainly because a wrecked hybrid costs more to repair). I'm no expert on this, but I figure that the Prius requires synthetic oil (if it is anything like the Honda hybrids require) so the oil changes become more expensive as well.

All of these figures go out the window if the price of gas goes above $5 anyway.

I'm not intending to be argumentative. I just don't see how 'saving money' can be a basis for someone to own a Prius. It might be a good by-product for someone who has a desire for a Prius and plans to keep it for 6 or 7 years, but if someone is looking to save money there are cars that have the same size and at least some of the features for much less.

As for Consumer Reports, even though they are a non-profit group to benefit the consumer, that does not make them free of bias. But, that is a completely different topic; probably not to be argued here.

So here it is. The perfect example of what's wrong with us. Yes, us.

We don't want better packaging and better economy... If we did, this article would read:
"New Prius is coming, it is exactly the same size on the outside, bigger inside, lighter, makes the same power but gets better fuel economy."

But no, we keep demanding bigger & faster, so Toyota, like every good car manufacturer, obliges.

The Honda Accord was made smaller once during the 90s, because Honda miscalculated the price of fuel after the Gulf War. I believe that's when they lost the "foreign" sales crown to Camry... I see elsewhere that has finally reversed (excluding the 2002 anomaly)...

for a car that ugly it better get 125 MPG or get 100 miles on battery power then it'll be a lot prettier. otherwise - lame.

for a car that ugly it better get 125 MPG or get 100 miles on battery power then it'll be a lot prettier. otherwise - lame.

For the people who argue that you aren't saving any money by purchasing a hybrid because the extra cost of the car is more than the cost of gas saved. I say this, "I prefer to give my extra money to the auto company (toyota/ford/etc.) than to the oil company." The lesser of two evils. :-) And if you "All American" then just remember that the auto companies need money way way more than the oil companies.

I don't know why you guys keep complaining about looks when the car has not been revealed yet, there is a link in the end of the article that gives you a spy pic. The pic above was just thrown in for the heck of it.

Jung,

Take a shot and run. Cmon fill us in on how your Hummer II is much better for the environment than the Prius. Educate us on how you believe the more sensational things your read.

Doesn't anyone think anymore?

Go Chevy Volt!!!! My friend from work just quit to go to western North Dakota (I live in Fargo pretty much) to build a windmill/hydrogen producing plant. He's pretty excited, says that there is already several of these in california. Perhaps hydrogen has a future...

@A Guy You Know Named Dave

"in your stats, what happens when we place a Toyota Corolla? It is the same size (if not bigger) than a Prius"

if you think you can fit a long twin mattress in a corolla, please, tell me how you do it.

"by Toyota the depreciation and the maintenance costs are negligible"

no, the prius tends to have a much lower depreciation than other cars. Up until a couple of months ago, a used prius demanded almost the same price as a new one. If it cali HOV stickers, forget about it as you will be paying a few grand over the price of a new prius. The maintenance cost is also lower. Much simpler transmission, brakes hardly ever need to be replaced. Less wear and tear on the engine in general.

"But there are also other factors that come into the price of owning a hybrid. Hybrid owners pay higher insurance rates"

not sure about this one, but I hardly doubt its true. I actually heard the insurance is actually lower on the prius then other similarly sized cars (slightly)

"I'm no expert on this, but I figure that the Prius requires synthetic oil (if it is anything like the Honda hybrids require) so the oil changes become more expensive as well."

its a good thing you are not an expert. The prius doesnt REQUIRE synthetic. Toyota (and Honda) use 0w20 regular oil, not synthetic. The honda can take 5w20 as well. Slightly more expensive, but not by much. The oil change frequency on the HCHII is ~7500-8500 miles (maybe more, I've only had a single oil change at 6500 miles with 30% oil life left, currently at 4800 miles with 50% left).

"All of these figures go out the window if the price of gas goes above $5 anyway."

dude, its not IF, its when. Gas in cali is reaching $4. SF is slightly above $4 for regular. By my guess, it will reach 4.30-4.40 in cali by summer. Close to $5 next year.

"I'm not intending to be argumentative. I just don't see how 'saving money' can be a basis for someone to own a Prius."

gee, perhaps there are people out there that want to save money AND enjoy the car that they drive. I hardly think most people would buy the prius if they didnt like it. I didnt. Doesnt mean other people dont.

http://www.motortrend.com/cars/2008/toyota/corolla/specifications/
2008 corolla:
Internal dimensions:
front headroom (inches): 39.3,
rear headroom (inches): 37.1,
front hip room (inches): 51.9,
rear hip room (inches): 46.2,
front leg room (inches): 41.3,
rear leg room (inches): 35.4,
front shoulder room (inches): 53.1,
rear shoulder room (inches): 53.5
interior volume (cu ft): 90.3

http://www.motortrend.com/cars/2008/toyota/prius/specifications/
2008 prius:
Internal dimensions:
front headroom (inches): 39.1,
rear headroom (inches): 37.1,
front hip room (inches): 51.0,
rear hip room (inches): 51.6,
front leg room (inches): 41.9,
rear leg room (inches): 38.6,
front shoulder room (inches): 55.0,
rear shoulder room (inches): 52.9
interior volume (cu ft): 96.2

I hope they don't go with the styling of the hybrid x concept.

I would expect the next-genm prius to manage combined horsepower around 130-150, with mileage over 50 mpg combined.

why? because if you look at the gen 1 and gen 2 prius specs under the 2008 epa, you end up with similiar grades of improvement between generations.

As far as not adopting Li-ion batteries, there is too much progress in much safer and cheaper carbon nanotube batteries these days, Lithium batteries are expensive and have some lingering safety concerns (fire).

Toyota is going to want to keep the vehicle price the same or less than the current models, so that will drive the battery tech of choice.

of course, if someone says I can have 150 hp with a LOT of torque (electirc motors ftw) and 50+ mpg at the low 20's, then you are looking at a generically appealing mix of performance/mpg/price.

and that's the market they want.

@A Guy You Know Named Dave

Although Toyotas are known for their lack of depriciation, the Prius in particular does not depriciate much.

Obviously, the closer you get in mileage, the less advantage the 48/45 of the Prius offers you. The Yaris comes closest, but has less size, power, and features, similarly the Honda Fit. The Corolla and Civic get closer in space (the 4-door Civic may match the Prius in size, I'm not sure) but move a bit farther away in mileage. (I actaully think you've underestimated the mileage on the Corolla (small engine)... so it's even closer to the Prius than you think.

The Prius offers space and performance somewhere between a Corolla and a Camry at the price of a moderate Camry. I won't belabor the "cheapest car", but it certainly isn't an expensive one either. For short-term ownership, the high residual makes the price (buy-sale) far lower than sticker would indicate. For long-term ownership, the high gas mileage is very signifigant.

Of course, since I voulentarily drive a car that stickers 19/29 (IIRC, I actually get 25-27 mixed), I'm not exactly practicing what I preach here... but let's face it: None of the cars being discussed is as fun as my 330i ;)

'...None of the cars being discussed is as fun as my 330i ;)'

I agree.

Ugly as hell. Chick car too.

Looks like a Renault Twingo, only Godzilla stepped on top of it.

Car companies must realise that the key to sell this new types of eco cars is more manly and virile designs.

The answer is in our ancestors ways, the unbeleivably manly ancient-man that hunted wild bears and bulls and that treated woman the way they should be treated...

...only this design philosophy will allow the "G-A-Y" tag to be removed from this type of transportation devices.

This are the conclusions of my research and im rarely wrong.

Who would drive this ugly turd? Maybe Gwyneth Paltrow can cart around her stupid kids Apple and Moses. (Google it. Those are the real names) Or maybe that pretentious bitch Nancy Pelosi can drive this to work. The only thing this hemorrhoid from Toyota needs is a higher ride height. That way, the snobby pricks that drive these "green" cars can look down their noses at us; the working man.

Great. Now I am pissed. I need a drink....................

With it all, the Chevy Volt is, by far, the most intelligent answer to our present oil situation. It is the Prius turned around. For many, many thousands of owners, that car will burn little to no gasoline. Volt is merely a marker. Others will follow its lead and the technology will start to mature and then evolve further into even better ways of moving a vehicle down the road on less and less fossil fuel. We CAN beat this rap, but lots of change must come from the young who seem not to have a clue. Walking or peddling a bicycle might help that come about much quicker. I have zero patience with the naysayer who arrives at my home in an Excursion and picks the Volt to pieces, picks the Prius to pieces, picks any and all things that can make a difference to pieces while offering exactly zero ideas for a bloody thing. Later, he jumps back into his 6,000 pound ( or more) catastrophe and drives off into his foggy world of denial.... and that's where his involvement stops.....exactly where it started....with the unsolved problem.

With it all, the Chevy Volt is, by far, the most intelligent answer to our present oil situation. It is the Prius turned around. For many, many thousands of owners, that car will burn little to no gasoline. Volt is merely a marker. Others will follow its lead and the technology will start to mature and then evolve further into even better ways of moving a vehicle down the road on less and less fossil fuel. We CAN beat this rap, but lots of change must come from the young who seem not to have a clue. Walking or peddling a bicycle might help that come about much quicker. I have zero patience with the naysayer who arrives at my home in an Excursion and picks the Volt to pieces, picks the Prius to pieces, picks any and all things that can make a difference to pieces while offering exactly zero ideas for a bloody thing. Later, he jumps back into his 6,000 pound ( or more) catastrophe and drives off into his foggy world of denial.... and that's where his involvement stops.....exactly where it started....with the unsolved problem.

With it all, the Chevy Volt is, by far, the most intelligent answer to our present oil situation. It is the Prius turned around. For many, many thousands of owners, that car will burn little to no gasoline. Volt is merely a marker. Others will follow its lead and the technology will start to mature and then evolve further into even better ways of moving a vehicle down the road on less and less fossil fuel. We CAN beat this rap, but lots of change must come from the young who seem not to have a clue. Walking or peddling a bicycle might help that come about much quicker. I have zero patience with the naysayer who arrives at my home in an Excursion and picks the Volt to pieces, picks the Prius to pieces, picks any and all things that can make a difference to pieces while offering exactly zero ideas for a bloody thing. Later, he jumps back into his 6,000 pound ( or more) catastrophe and drives off into his foggy world of denial.... and that's where his involvement stops.....exactly where it started....with the unsolved problem.

Ew. Ew. Ew. Ew. Ew. Ew. Ew. Ew. Ew. Ew.

Yeah, this is a horrid looking car. I agree with some of the other viewers. It looks like Godzilla stepped on it. And it looks like one of the cars from the Disney movie "Cars." Common people, who wants to drive this vehicle around? It might get good gas mileage, but this is the ugliest possible car ive ever seen. What is the point in a "hybrid" car anyway? All in all they're bad for the community. Look at the big picture here.

I give you 2 things, the color is awesome (the color of my corolla), and the "rims" are pretty neat looking. I have to say i MIGHT drive it up and down the street, just to see how it rides, but other than that, you have alot of work to do before i would even THINK about getting one of those. Common, leave the hybrid prius alone, and get a hot new Corolla on the road. That's what everyone's looking for. Good gas mileage, and a nice looking car.

So, alot of people have the same opinion, this car is ugly. I hope you fix some things up.

Ew. Ew. Ew. Ew. Ew. Ew. Ew. Ew. Ew. Ew.

Yeah, this is a horrid looking car. I agree with some of the other viewers. It looks like Godzilla stepped on it. And it looks like one of the cars from the Disney movie "Cars." Common people, who wants to drive this vehicle around? It might get good gas mileage, but this is the ugliest possible car ive ever seen. What is the point in a "hybrid" car anyway? All in all they're bad for the community. Look at the big picture here.

I give you 2 things, the color is awesome (the color of my corolla), and the "rims" are pretty neat looking. I have to say i MIGHT drive it up and down the street, just to see how it rides, but other than that, you have alot of work to do before i would even THINK about getting one of those. Common, leave the hybrid prius alone, and get a hot new Corolla on the road. That's what everyone's looking for. Good gas mileage, and a nice looking car.

So, alot of people have the same opinion, this car is ugly. I hope you fix some things up.