Toyota unveils baby Prius at Detroit Auto Show

[wpsedgwick]

Source: Green Technology Daily

Already a leader of compact efficiency, the Prius may get a little brother after the unveiling of the FT-CH hybrid concept car Monday at the North American International Auto Show.

The new concept is 22 inches shorter than the Prius and an inch narrower, promising to offer even better fuel efficiency than its larger sibling.

The model was designed to target a younger, less affluent buyer than the Prius.

Read more: http://www.greentechnologydaily.com/auto/594-toyota-unveils-baby-prius-at-detroit-auto-show

[MessiahRp]

1. I wonder what the price range is going to be for those?

Because I definitely want one!

Rp

[wpsedgwick]

2. No price speculation public yet...

But analysts are saying that it could be in $14K-$16K range. Possibly less.

[tandot]

4. We would buy one for that price, especially since it might be even more fuel efficient

"...promising to offer even better fuel efficiency than its larger sibling"

Our Corolla has over 140,000 miles and we are thinking about replacing it. The new Prius would be great for my husband to commute to work :)

[Codeine]

36. Don't write that Corolla off yet!

Mine has just a few miles shy of 250,000 on the odometer and it's still rolling!

[alfredo]

45. The Corolla is the best selling car in the world. More than 32 million sold.

[MiniMe]

3. Right now it is a concept car.

It isn't in production yet, so you will have a long wait for it.

[MessiahRp]

12. Well the good thing for me is it will take me some time to save for it. :)

So this might work hand in hand. :)

Rp

[Bluzmann57]

5. And yet, Ford won both car and truck of the year

at the same show. I guess American auto makers are doing something right.

[Brickbat]

6. Wow, I didn't think it was possible to be uglier than the regular Prius.

I was wrong.

[kestrel91316]

7. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. And besides, we need to get over

the idea that cars need to be "attractive" by some artificial criteria. Hybrids are a beautiful concept. That they look a certain way because of aerodynamics is just engineering.

[jmowreader]

35. "Aerodynamic" doesn't necessarily mean "butt ugly"

The FT-CH is a sorry looking machine--headlights right under the windshield? My first thought is to put the headlights in the front bumper.

[jakefrep]

8. I think the people who designed the Pontiac Aztek are working for Toyota now

Judging from the profound ugliness of virtually all of Toyota's current products.

[emilyg]

29. My Camry is far

from ugly.

[JNelson6563]

34. Good one.

:toast:

[mahatmakanejeeves]

38. I saw an Aztek this morning.

I thought, "gee, someone bought one."

[FarCenter]

9. It will probably change before production

Besides, a car is just a box to climb into to get from one place to another, preferably with no drama, absolute reliability, and minimum cost.

[WriteDown]

10. Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_NVbGxxojoV0/SGVH8k29q4I/AAAAAAAAAiY/u6ONi8JUu-k/s400/Borg+ship.jpg

[MessiahRp]

13. I actually like how it looks

And I am a fan of the whole 8 bit retro thing too so if they incorporate that in a really cool way I am totally on board.

Rp

[Codeine]

25. I think it's gorgeous.

Very Volkswagen-ish. I love it.

[tabasco]

27. It's a machine, designed to do work efficiently.

Attaching importance to a machine's appearance is stupid.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

39. "Attaching importance to a machine's appearance is stupid."

Oh, dear. I couldn't disagree more.

Shout out to Raymond Loewy





and Henry Dreyfuss.

[yellowcanine]

44. I like the look and I like the look of my Prius, thank you.

[Bigmack]

11. Ugly????....

You are absolutely right! I'm soooo ashamed of my ugly Prius when I pull up to the gas pumps, fill up, and leave, while those beautiful Suburban Assault Vehicles continue filling. I'm sooo ashamed that I'm able to load a small freezer into the hatchback of my Prius, instead of the 3 kids going to soccer practice loaded into mom's bus.

:sarcasm:

You people who talk about ugly or beautiful amaze me. Those engineers tuned the shit out of the Prius for max performance and min drag. You got something against going with the flow? Do you really want to bring back these..
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=&imgrefurl=http://moknowsphotos.com/Brightwork/&usg=__aBTah2e42eZDZ1X-Lrn6rH3O8BQ=&h=450&w=310&sz=18&hl=en&start=6&um=1&tbnid=yNCnazbYlIvM6M:&tbnh=127&tbnw=87&prev=/images%3Fq%3D1950%2527s%2Bcars%2Bfins%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff%26sa%3DN%26um%3D1

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=&imgrefurl=http://www.worldofstock.com/closeups/TRC2676.php&usg=__laf1xGHSLvmE4x-EL9vcvdNxTr0=&h=335&w=500&sz=47&hl=en&start=11&um=1&tbnid=BseqYqou2Z7eBM:&tbnh=87&tbnw=130&prev=/images%3Fq%3D1950%2527s%2Bcars%2Bbumpers%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff%26um%3D1

[WriteDown]

14. This you?

[Bigmack]

16. Older... and smugger... nt

[kenfrequed]

19. Another stupid South Park episode...

I honestly thought this was one of the stupidest episodes in a long string of stupid episodes.

[WriteDown]

21. Like the looks of this "car"...

That is a matter of opinion.

[kenfrequed]

24. I am unclear.

What the heck are you talking about?

Your subject line seemed to ask about whether I liked a car, and your message was "that is a matter of opinion"

Could you maybe elaborate?

[tabasco]

28. This you?

[WriteDown]

40. Way more meat on my bones and way darker skin. nt

[brendan120678]

26. Yes! Bring those back!!

My grandfather had a mint condition 1958 Chevy Bel Air Impala, painted red & white, that was the most beautiful car I've ever seen. Sadly, when he died there was so much fighting between my mother's siblings over who should get the car, that my grandmother went and sold it to a private collector.

Damn, I would have loved that car.

[fascisthunter]

15. I like the design... (nt)

[alfredo]

17. Cute car

[DCBob]

18. Nice... this car will sell...

Too bad US carmakers are incapable of developing cars like this.

[WriteDown]

22. Unlikely if we look at the current trends...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=4220453&mesg_id=4220453

[JVS]

20. "The model was designed to target a younger, less affluent buyer than the Prius"

I like the sound of that

[WriteDown]

23. Now here is a beautiful car!

[Mudoria]

31. Beautiful

[depakid]

32. A lot like one of these:

[PacerLJ35]

30. Prius is cool, but far to expensive for its size...

Someone in my family recently bought a Honda Insight and it's far cheaper, and almost as nice. It's like most Prius cars are loaded with options. She got the Insight new (2010) for the same price as a 2007 Prius with 20,000 miles. Only thing missing she wanted but doesn't have is cruise control (odd on a modern car).

[Tim01]

33. My old Geo Metro still gets 42 miles per gallon.

That thing is like 15 years old. I don't believe at all, that these expensive complicated contraptions are necessary to get good fuel mileage if my old car was doing that good 15 years ago. And it is just a little 3 cylinder gasoline engine.God knows what could be done with that engine with some "good" modern technology.

[LeftyMom]

46. The trick is balancing efficiency and safety.

Safety features add weight, and weight itself improves accident performance to some degree, as does size to some extent. I sure wouldn't want to get in an accident in a Metro, however good on gas they are.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

37. It looks like a Citroen.

Assuming it's available in a not-completely-horrible color scheme I might consider one. Too bad you can't get carpool lane stickers for hybrids in CA any more.

[Romulox]

41. Ford's electrics are looking more practical, affordable, and REALISTIC at this point.

The Detroit Auto Show has belonged to Ford thusfar.

[eringer]

42. This Design is a Game Changer

Toyota will widen their lead with motorcars like these.

[eringer]

43. These Toyotas are Game Changers

Toyota will widen their lead with hybrid motorcars like the FT-CH and its sporty hybrid brother, the 400HP FT-HS (below).