The new Prius, which isn’t due to debut until January’s Detroit motor show, features an evolutionary body shape but with changes to styling and dimensions.
The windscreen, for example, is more steeply raked and the roofline and glasshouse are significantly more coupe-like than the current-generation model. The new Prius is rumoured to be about 25mm wider but about 30mm shorter than the current model.
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A new front end includes sharper-looking headlights, a wide and deep air intake flanked by stacked foglights and indicators, and a raised section above the Toyota badge that follows the design theme of the company’s Yaris, Camry and Corolla models.
The sportier side profile includes a prominent beltline that rises from headlights to tail-lights.
There’s no view of the Prius’s rear end, though Drive’s previous spy shots revealed that the hybrid will improve visibility with a rear window that extends downwards toward the bumper.
As previously reported by Drive, the third-generation Prius is expected to upgrade from the current 1.5-litre petrol engine to a 1.8-litre four-cylinder from the Corolla.
The new engine will combine with a new electric motor to produce about 120kW in total, though fuel economy and emissions will both improve.
Toyota Australia has high hopes for the new Prius, telling Drive at a pre-Sydney motor show media event that it expected the new-generation model to boost its hybrid sales.
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