Toyota will use the Geneva Motor Show next month to showcase the Hybrid X – a concept car that proposes a new design language for hybrid models while also acting as a technology showcase for future hybrid cars. The company has released a single teaser image showing a rear section of the concept.
“ Toyota is using the show to restate its commitment to finding and implementing solutions that make cars less of an environmental burden,” the company said in a statement to the press. “Toyota’s world-leading Hybrid Synergy Drive® technology is at the core of this strategy as it moves along the path towards the ultimate eco-car.”
In May, the Detroit News reported Toyota was considering using design to help differentiate its hybrid offerings from its other models.
While the Prius is noted for its rather futuristic looks, other Toyota hybrids have been considerably more low-key.
The hybrid is an iconic statement for Toyota,” said Kim. “We will come up with a design that shows a vehicle’s hybrid-ness, because a hybrid should have a distinctive look […] One of the things you may see are green or blue lights on the sides of the hybrid or maybe even on the hood that illuminate when the car is in hybrid mode,” said Jin Won Kim, 29, a senior creative designer at Toyota’s Calty Design Research Inc. in Newport Beach, Calif.
“Also, a hybrid battery needs a lot of cooling, and so we are experimenting with unusual air intakes and outlets that will add a styling element.”
