It also seems the rumor of asymmetric headlights can be put to bed even though the first set of unofficial images showed such a thing. Oh well, still looks smiley even though it'll no longer be winking at us. It's going to be a long slog to the Detroit Auto Show next January where the Prius is set to be revealed. [PriusChat]

At The Front

One: The most obvious change from generation to generation is at the front, and the first sign that this is something new comes from the headlights. The previous generation said "aerodynamic" while the new, feathered lights say "sporty" more than anything.
Two: The new grille is also far more aggressive, shifting the logo into the middle with a pointed, almost F1-esque nose crease.
Three: Like the 2009 Toyota Matrix, the new Prius' nose features a lower front airdam with a dual-foglight package.
Four: Compared to the previous generation, the cab appears slightly further forward. It is hard to say if this is just an illusion created by the lower placement of the mirror and angle of the beltline or an actual change. Either way, the effect is to create a more forward leaning stance.
FIve: The little crease at the edge of the bumper could be an aerodynamic touch or purely aesthetic.

Mid Section

One: The line running along the center of the doors in the previous generation has been moved down further along the wheel wells, which makes the new Prius look tall-and-squat as opposed to long-and-lean. This appears to be an answer to the charge that the previous generation looked like a wedge or a jellybean.
Two: As mentioned, the beltline is raked towards the A-pillar, giving it a runner's stance.
Three: The rocker panels are now larger and more enhanced, appearing to flare a bit at the rear wheel well.
Four: The blacked-out B-pillar look has been transferred from generation to generation and the overall shape of the greenhouse hasn't been significantly altered.
FIve: The slab-slided Prius is no more. The doors angle further in towards the greenhouse with a line that carries from the front quarter panel back toward the shoulders.

Rear

One: We're waiting for a better picture of the rear, but in the meantime it appears the larger presence of the rocker panels has created a line that moves around the rear of the car that's picked up the sheet metal. The purpose of the black wings along the edge of the previous model was primarily aerodynamic and it looks better with body-matching paint.
Two: Though there is a new look for the shoulders, with new definition, the car retains a similar, if slightly less angled, C-Pillar.
Three: More fanny? Hard to say, but it looks like there is more junk in that trunk.
Four: Wheel design for the Prius has always been of the "appliance" variety. These sporty, flared five-spokes clearly point to a new direction.
FIve: The gas tank now appears to be on the other side — just kidding. These are opposite sides of the car.

If our sources at Green Hybrid are correct, this is a teaser for the upcoming 2010 Toyota Prius. No, really. Of course, we'd be surprised if anybody actually felt any sensation of anticipation from this photo. Who knew Toyota could release an even worse teaser than the first one? Although this shot does finally confirm speculation at least one part of the vehicle is capable of being opened and closed. Fascinating. We're going to take a nap now.

[via GreenHybrid]

The new Toyota Prius was caught this morning driving again through the streets of San Francisco. We've seen the 2011 Toyota Prius testing in SF before, but never with such camera phone graininess. See if you can glean anything from this new shot. We know we can't.

(Thanks Nick!)

Those waiting to see the 2010 Toyota Prius sans camouflage shall wait no longer now that Toyota has dropped their first official teaser shot of the next-gen Prius at Prius Chat. What is it, exactly? You're most likely looking at the new logo as displayed on the start-up screen for the new Prius. OMG! WTF! SO EXCITING! The logo is clearly tougher than the previous generation's look, perhaps readying itself for war with the fuel-sipping challengers on the horizon. Unofficial but revealing spy photos of the next generation Prius below.

(Thanks to Danny for the tip) [Prius Chat]

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But first some stats on the Toyota Camry Hybrid. For starters, it's a "dual-mode" hybrid utilizing the same Toyota-branded Hybrid Synergy Drive found in the Toyota Prius. The trim level of the Camry Hybrid is relatively up-featured, including LED taillights, a DVD-based navigational system and most of the features found on the top-of-the-line Camry XLE. Though the Camry was originally advertised with a higher mileage, new EPA standards bring the over-reaching hybrid down to a city and highway rating in the low-to-mid 30 mpg range. Despite the lower rating, the Camry Hybrid is still the sales king for those who want a hybrid, aren't concerned about highway mileage, and want something that looks more normal than a Prius. However, there are alternatives to the super number one best automaker from the land of the rising sun.
City: 33 mpg
Highway: 34 mpg
Combined: 34 mpg
MSRP: $26,150

2009 Honda Civic GX CNG

The Honda Civic GX CNG is an interesting study in alternative fuel sources, their advantages and what-the-hell T. Boone Pickens is talking about. The GX looks just like any other Honda Civic, but runs on compressed natural gas typically added from a home fueling station. This Civic is inferior to the Camry in terms of city or combined mileage, but slightly bests the Toyota sedan on the highway. The Civic GX also has a lower cost of ownership (it needs minimal services), has a significantly smaller carbon footprint and costs about the same. The technology is still in development, though, so less than 1,000 vehicles are typically produced each year.
City: 24 mpg
Highway: 36 mpg
Combined: 28 mpg
Advantage Over Camry: Highway
MSRP: $25,090

2009 Kia Rio (Auto)

The Kia is among the smallest, cheapest new cars for sale in the United States, coming in at more than half the price of the Toyota Camry Hybrid and more than 1,000 pounds lighter. Powered by a 110-horsepower fourbanger tied to a CVT transmission, the little Kia is slightly better than the Camry on the highway, though much worse in the city. While much cheaper, the Rio offers few of the features and almost none of the prestige, comfort, desirability or practicality of the Camry. Even with limited availability for Toyota, the 2008 Rio only bested the Camry Hybrid's sales by 134 cars.
City: 26 mpg
Highway: 35 mpg
Combined: 30 mpg
Advantage Over Camry: Highway
MSRP: $12,145

2009 Chevrolet Cobalt LS Coupe XFE

Essentially a 2009 Chevy Cobalt with a few light tweaks, the Cobalt XFE is modified ever so slightly to improve fuel economy — and prove that an American car can make the grade without a hybrid drive. Adjustments are mostly under the hood where the engineers tweaked the intake and exhaust valve lift duration, swapped the transmission gear ratios for lower operating revs, and put on some low-rolling-resistance tires. The result may only be 1 mpg over the previous year, but that's a step in the right direction. Like the other cars that take the lighter approach, the biggest gains are found at highway speeds.
City: 25 mpg
Highway: 37 mpg
Combined: 30 mpg
Advantage Over Camry: Highway
MSRP: $15,225

2009 Mini Cooper (Manual)

Fans of the Mini Cooper have always been able to boast about all the fun they have driving their itsy-bitsy British bimmer — so much fun that they forget to mention that it gets stellar gas mileage. Though not as useful as a Camry as a family vehicle, the Mini is at least a few hundred times more fun and gets a combined mileage just 2 mpg short of the big hybrid. There are no tricks here. The Mini is just a well-engineered, sufficiently-powered small car offered with a sixth gear.
City: 28 mpg
Highway: 37 mpg
Combined: 32 mpg
Advantage Over Camry: Highway
MSRP: $19,200

2009 Toyota Yaris (Manual)

All of the 2009 Yaris models equipped with the manual transmission get the same EPA mileage, so you're not necessarily stuck with a little three-door hatch if that's your route towards mileage. The five-door S hatch comes equipped with rear-window wipers, fog lights, MP3/CD player w/ iPod interface and other nice features, though you'll have to tack on $3,000 to the base price. Though it can't quite compete with the Camry in city driving, this tiny Toyota does better on the highway and is close on the combined cycle.
City: 29 mpg
Highway: 36
Combined: 32 mpg
Advantage Over Camry: Highway
MSRP: $12,205

2009 Mercury Mariner Hybrid

We found the 2008 Mariner Hybrid to be a fairly decent ride with only a few flaws, many of which were addressed with the 2009 refresh. The Mariner Hybrid, and it's twin brother Escape Hybrid, is most similar to the Camry in that it offers power, luxury and good gas mileage in a single package — an SUV package at that. Though slightly off the Camry's total, this is one of the few vehicles that bests the Toyota in the city.
City: 34 mpg
Highway: 31 mpg
Combined: 32 mpg
Advantage Over Camry: City
MSRP: $29,750

2009 Volkswagen Jetta & Jetta SportWagen TDI (Manual)

Both the Volkswagen Jetta TDI and its wagon sibling the SportWagen are within the Camry's price range and offer the utility, relative luxury and foreign car appeal of the Toyota. Unlike the Camry, the Jettas are both eligible for a tax credit. In the ongoing diesel-versus-hybrid debate the TDI twins step up with a comparable combined cycle and a substantially higher highway experience, a reflection of the efficiency and power of the diesel engine. And there's no risk of running short because of battery supplies.
City: 30 mpg
Highway: 41 mpg
Combined: 34 mpg
Advantage Over Camry: Highway
MSRP: $21,990/$23,590

2009 Nissan Altima Hybrid

Nissan is still technically selling the Altima Hybrid, a car that is a direct competitor with the Camry, but sales have lagged far behind nearly all of its competitors. Why? It may have something to do with battery supply, but it also may have something to do with the reason why people are choosing the regular Camry over the regular Altima: age. The Altima, though refreshed, is a rather tired design that lacks the same appeal and luxury of the Toyota. It trumps the better-selling green sedan in the city, but no one seems to care.
City: 35 mpg
Highway: 33 mpg
Combined: 34 mpg
Advantage Over Camry: City
MSRP: $26,650

2009 Honda Civic Hybrid

It should come as no surprise that the 2009 Honda Civic Hybrid, currently the third-best selling hybrid car behind the Camry, bests the Camry in all areas of fuel economy by a large margin. It's smaller. It's lighter. The Prius is more of a competitor to this hybrid than the Camry, though Toyota has done a good job of making their larger hybrid price competitive with the Civic sedan.
City: 40
Highway: 45
Combined: 42 mpg
Advantage Over Camry: City, Highway, Combined
MSRP: $23,550

2009 Toyota Prius

The king. The reigning champ. The green boss. You can't touch the Prius and neither can the Camry Hybrid — at least not in mileage. Though all of these buyers are likely eco-minded, some hybrid huggers just don't like the Prius, don't want a hatchback or maybe just think the larger hybrid sedan is a perfect foil.
City: 48 mpg
Highway: 45 mpg
Combined: 46 mpg
Advantage: City, Highway, Combined
MSRP: $22,000

[Hybrid Sales Data: HybridCars.com. Fuel Economy Data: FuelEconomy.gov]

Jalopnik Snap Judgment: Since credits could reach as high as $7,500 for light-duty vehicles, the potential impact of the legislation is significant; however, if Toyota brings in a competitive product for less money than the Volt would cost, even with tax breaks figured in, we'd imagine the impact on their bottom line would be minimal. Knowing Toyota, that's exactly what they plan to do, but we certainly can't blame them for whining about a "level playing field." The domestics have been doing it for years. [Detroit News]

This isn't merely idle talk. Toyota successfully created the Scion brand as an alternative to its larger brand. Additionally, Toyota's North American Sales Chief Jim Lentz told Reuters that "there is a definite desire for us to [create a Prius brand]" and that new dealerships were being constructed with space for the eco-brand. This could mean smaller hybrids, sportier hybrids and possibly even small truck hybrids. This isn't the first time we've mentioned this possibility, and Toyota has denied it in the past, but this new statement seems to point towards a company at least floating test balloons relating to the idea. [Reuters via Automobile]

The Volt has the advantage of being American, assuming you're part of the group that believes an American car is a good thing. It also sports an electric mode with a 40-mile all-electric range. Of course, that carries a big price tag with it.

The Insight looks like a Honda and looks like a hybrid. It is low in price but compared to the Volt it has less technology. It should have that comfortable, competent and reliable design we associate with Honda, if you're into that.

The Prius is a known quantity. Not the best looking vehicle ever made, the Prius is well-associated with the hybrid movement and is a solid performer in the mileage area. The price isn't too high, if you can get one for MSRP, and owners of the Toyota hybrid almost uniformly love their car.

Difference #1: Instead of going with the stylized T, as on the Prius, the new Insight has a very defined H above the grille. This is a difference of 11 letter positions in the alphabet and a sign that Honda is the true Maverick in this race.

Difference #2: The Toyota Prius is very noticeable from the rear because of its squarer clear taillights housing red LED lights. The engineers from Honda have focused on a more angular look for their clear taillights with red LED lights.

Difference #3: Honda stepped out with some fairly trick split five-spoke wheels that look much hotter than the boring seven-spoke Prius design. We're not sure if these will make it from concept to reality.

Difference #4: The Prius has been faulted for its bland nose and utilitarian look, which Honda has countered with a more Honda CRZ-inspired front; it's more dramatic, modern and captivating in its vanilla quasi-Dave look. The design makes the new Insight look like a more expensive car than the Prius.

Difference #5: Toyota engineers love boxes and Honda deviated wildly from this path by introducing a round fuel access cover. That's change you can not only believe in, but it's change that signals the outside-the-box thinking you've come to expect from Honda.

Difference #6: As opposed to headlights that wrap upwards from a sharply curving grille, the Insight's lights curve outward from a sharply curving grille. It's so different — like apples and pears.

Difference #7: One of the features that differentiates the Prius from other cars on the road, visually, is that little window behind the A-pillar and ahead of the mirrors. The low belt-line of both of these cars necessitates such a move but Honda hides it, using a cheater panel aft of the mirror and a supporting strip behind the mirror. It's a smart design change that'll really help separate it from the crowd.

So there you have it — two totally different vehicles. No matter what your eyes tell you.

A lot of people can’t wait to try [the plug-in Prius], so it’s understandable that one of our dealers created some confusion recently by taking deposits on future Prius plug-in hybrids.

Magnussen’s Toyota in Palo Alto, California was doing what we’ve always encouraged our dealers to do...to listen carefully to their customers and try to meet their needs. Being so close to Silicon Valley, the dealership was getting lots of requests from customers who wanted to buy a plug-in Prius. And since the dealership had confidence Toyota would eventually deliver a great vehicle, they thought it would be a good idea to take deposits and make customers happy.

So, while we applaud Magnuessen’s excitement about our future Prius plug-in, we want to be clear that we have not announced a timetable for retail sales.

Jalopnik Snap Judgment: Since one or two of us have done tours of duty in the hallowed halls of America's car dealerships, we know that cash money is God there. Faced with customers demanding something that didn't exist, but that the dealer knew would most likely soon exist, Magnussen's did what any money-grubbing auto retailer would have done: they charged folks to get on "the list." Shady? Yeah. Surprising? Not in the least. It's common knowledge that a customer who has left a deposit on something, no matter how small, is much more likely to return to complete the transaction — any transaction. The simple rule of thumb to follow is "don't put a deposit on something that doesn't yet exist." Even...or especially...at a car dealership. Incidentally, Magnussen's also agreed to return all customer deposits for plug-in Priuses, but we wonder how much thumb-twisting on Toyota's part was involved before they agreed to relinquish their precious cash. [Toyota Open Road Blog]

[Wired]

Seven "great" reasons to buy a hybrid

• Your old car is busted and you need a new one anyway
• You get a tax break with some hybrids
• Your employer is a hippy and offers hybrid drivers perks
• Hybrids can drive in the high occupancy lanes where you live
• Better mileage than your gas guzzler
• Hedge your bets against gas prices skyrocketing
• Buy a hybrid to send a message to automakers

• You think it will save money right now
• By some delusion, you think a hybrid is cheaper to own
• You think there's no difference in performance against a normal car
• You think you'll get the claimed fuel economy
• By some delusion, you think you'll never have to service it
• You're buying it as a fashion accessory, thus garnering the full vitriol of the Jalopnik community

Jalopnik Snap Jugdement: Considering we'll be seeing two all-new dedicated hybrids from Toyota, the formal debut of the 2010 Honda hybrid, who knows what from Nissan, and with the first fully-formed Chevy Volt revealed just a couple months earlier, the 2009 Detroit Auto Show is setting up to be a serious, next-gen hybrid battle royal.

More interesting to us, contrary to reports of the declining influence of the Detroit Auto Show and the rise of the LA Auto Show, is a trend of increasingly prominent Detroit unveils. Detroit will be showing off hybrids and meat-and-potatoes products — both at the forefront of consumers minds. While the LA Auto Show continues to feature lifestyle products like the Lexus LF-A and the Cadillac CTS Coupe. True, the 2010 Ford Mustang is dropping its top in LA, but that's to be expected given it's a convertible. Ironic, isn't it, that a state so obsessive about portraying itself as green gets mostly vain, luxury and low-volume while a city held up as the symbol of everything backwards in the auto industry displays the future? We think so.

[via DetNews]

Experian claims 47% of hybrid buyers choose another car from the same manufacturer, as opposed to 35% of buyers overall. Sounds like good news, but for whom? While the report may seem like a boost for Honda and Toyota — and it no doubt is — there's also a silver lining for GM and Ford. While the General doesn't have the best name recognition on its hybrid lineup, it does have two new hybrid trucks in the market starting second quarter of next year, which potentially could allow them to capitalize on the trend — especially considering over 30% of pickup buyers buy another pickup. That compares to only 25% of hybrid buyers. Similarly, the Ford Escape Hybrid has a following of its own among green-conscious buyers needing more space, arguably leading to the potential for halo sales of additional Ford products — including other SUVs of the non-hybrid variety.

Jalopnik Snap Judgment: Maybe it's not all roses, but there's an opportunity for domestic manufacturers to build a few more sales off hybrid pickup and SUV purchases. Of course, they'll both need to sell more than the token few hundred (in GMs case) or the token few thousand (in the case of Ford). [Detroit News]

No matter how much they claim otherwise, hybrid buyers like to wear their green credentials on their sleeves. That's the beauty of the Prius: It can scream "green" without being covered with badging like the Tahoe Hybrid. It's smugness lies in its subtlety. So how can Honda rip off the Prius design while still producing a unique design? We're not sure, but if the artist's rendering on Hybrid Cars is anything remotely like the finished product, they apparently can't. [HybridCars.com]

Jalopnik Snap Judgment: Considering the Honda hybrid will be coming in a whopping $3,000 less than the base Prius and will wear the depreciation-proof Honda badge, we're betting the number one super-best automaker from the land of the rising sun will be redoubling efforts on its 2010 Toyota Prius. Within three years, we'll be looking at volume sales of high-mileage offerings from Toyota, Honda, Nissan, and GM, among others. A crowded market will mean good times for hybrid lovers (and lots of leftover 2010 Camaros for the rest of us). [NextEnergyNews]

NextAutos whispers that the next-gen 2010 Toyota Prius could be part of

"a whole family of Prius models. That means that we also will see a station wagon and maybe even a convertible with the Prius badge."

If you're interested in something a bit more modern, the system is designed to work with an upgrade to lithium iron phosphate batteries too. And if you want to pump juice into those batteries using nothing but the sun, you might want to bolt on some solar panels. Us? We'd still rather have a VW Golf Twin Drive. [GreenCarCongress]

Jalopnik Snap Judgment: Our "snap" guess is yes. Given that Toyota has long been upfront about its goal of building a million hybrids a year by 2010, we have to give the company the benefit of the doubt on its supplier chain. Remember, the Toyota Manufacturing Process (TMP) actually started the concept of lean manufacturing and just-in-time supply. To that end, the company is building its own battery facility, reducing exposure in that most critical of hybrid components. And with plans to make room for more Priuses at a Japanese factory and to build them in the US at a new plant in Mississippi, Toyota appears to be taking steps to alleviate pent-up Prius demand.

So, half a million Priuses a year? Despite the mere thought bringing blood flowing out of our uber-enthusiast ears, we have to give Toyota credit for ratcheting supply up when demand exceeds it on this product, as opposed to being forced to ratchet supply down when demand drops like a rock. That's always been the problem our poor, poor US automakers have had — always trying to wring every sale out of a product in an attempt to meet and beat the U.S. financial markets quarterly expectations. Now our only question is — how will the world cope with so much new smug? [Automotive News, Sub. Req.]

One model, the sleek new Chevrolet Cruze due out in 2010, is the replacement for the clunky Chevrolet Cobalt small car. GM plans to power the Cruze with a 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, allowing it to get around 45 miles per gallon

It couldn't be more important for the Cruze to be a hit given that, in the same article, the AP pointed out Honda is getting $19,000 for the Civic compared to just $12,000 for each Cobalt. Now that the era of everyone getting a large SUV and putting $10,000 in GM's coffers is over, those small cars need to be more valuable and profitable than ever. [Source: AP via Forbes]

Is it the 2010 Toyota Prius? Maybe. All we know is it looks to be either a test vehicle for the next-gen Prius or the worst application of after-market Prius accessories we've ever seen. Unfortunately we're not expecting solar panels until the 2011 Prius, so that doesn't help us. Nor do we see any Chinese-made "Made In The USA" stickers — of course that won't be slapped on the side either until 2011, so there's really nothing we can see to distinguish this Prius from the 2009 Toyota Prius in front of it. Well, except for the heavy white tape and plastic. Although we shouldn't complain about this Prius' looks. At least it's not killing anyone. (Hat tip to Cord!) [Mr. Ben @ Flickr]

Toyota to build Prius in U.S., Highlander to Indiana; all Tundra to Texas
07/10/2008

July 10, 2008 - Erlanger, KY - Toyota is responding to changes in consumer demand and improving the production efficiency and stability of its North American operations by adjusting production mix at three plants. The changes include the addition of the Prius hybrid sedan to its North American lineup.

The changes are as follows:
- Prius will be built at a plant under construction in Blue Springs, Miss. Production is scheduled to begin in late 2010. Prius, which will join the Kentucky-built Camry Hybrid as the second Toyota hybrid built in North America, enables Toyota to better respond to increased consumer demand for hybrid vehicles.

- The Highlander mid-size SUV, originally scheduled to be built in Mississippi, will now be manufactured in Princeton, Ind., beginning in Fall 2009.

- Production of the Tundra full-size pick-up truck, currently built in Indiana and Texas, will be consolidated at the San Antonio plant in Spring 2009.
In addition, Toyota will temporarily suspend Tundra and Sequoia production beginning August 8 due to the declining overall market for full size trucks and SUVs. Production is scheduled to resume in early November. Team members at both facilities, as well as the Huntsville, Ala. plant that builds Tundra and Sequoia engines, will continue to be provided work.

"The truck market continues to worsen, so unfortunately we must temporarily suspend production. But this good news about production mix demonstrates our long-term commitment to our North American operations and to our team members, supplier partners, and communities where our plants are located," said Jim Wiseman, vice president/external affairs for Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America (TEMA). "By using this downturn as an opportunity to develop team members and improve our operations, we hope to emerge even stronger."

Toyota (NYSE:TM) established operations in North America in 1957 and currently operates 13 manufacturing plants. In addition, new plants are under construction in Ontario and Mississippi. Toyota directly employs over 43,000 in North America and its investment here is currently valued at more than $21 billion, including sales and manufacturing operations, research and development, financial services and design. Toyota's annual purchasing of parts, materials, goods and services from North American suppliers totals more than $30 billion per year. For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyota.com.

"But solar power is not seen as a viable solution to power cars. Solar panels are expensive due to rising silicon prices and storing energy is difficult, the source said. It was unknown how much the solar panels on the new Prius cars would cost, or how many solar-mounted versions Toyota would build."

The tweak? Not putting enough gas in his Toyota Prius, according to our man Paul, who captured this hilarious spectacle in Silicon Valley's ritzy Los Gatos neighborhood. Even better, this occurred next to a Jazz/Wine festival where Lexus was showing off some of their own hybrid vehicles. In the end, it took eight people to move the battery-laden ride. Perhaps Toyota's green advertising is too convincing, or maybe a new walk-to-charge system is being tested.

If you're looking to get the most bang for your hybrid buck, it's best to avoid the Honda Civic hybrid, Toyota Prius and Toyota Camry hybrid—the tax credit on the latter two have already been reduced to zero. There's a good number of eligible hybrids, but at the rate people are snatching up these vehicles, don't expect the full tax credit to last. [LA Times]

(Image via XKCD)

The moral of the story? Don't disrupt the evolution of hybrids. Sure, everyone wants a plug-in hybrid, and they are definitely on their way. But there's no need to try to disrupt the evolutionary process; it can be dangerous — just ask Jeff Goldblum in Jurassic Park. [CRN via DailyTech]

After years of Google Street View cameras capturing accidents, boob flashings, gun fights and more, it's kind of nice to see the tables being flipped. This particular camera-bearing Google Street View vehicle was captured receiving what is likely a traffic violation. That, or the cop is one die-hard fan of