Following several reports that surfaced earlier this month, Toyota has confirmed it is readying an all-new hybrid model to take on Honda ’s Insight. The new hybrid model will be based on the Yaris and slot below the Prius in price and amenities.
The Prius was the former king of the entry-level hybrid segment, but Honda has stolen that crown with its new Insight. The third-generation Prius – which should begin rolling into Toyota showrooms in just a few weeks – is larger in every dimension compared to the current car – including price. Toyota is hopeful the new model will address those concerns.
“We are developing a low-priced hybrid vehicle like Honda ’s Insight,” Akihiko Otsuka, chief engineer of the redesigned, third-generation Toyota Prius , told Automotive News. “We are going to compete by expanding our hybrid-vehicle lineup to smaller hybrids, in the class of the Vitz and Yaris.”
Otsuka failed to give a timeframe for the new model but Japan’s Nikkei newspaper suggests the new car could be on the market as early as 2011.
It remains unclear what body type Toyota will use for the new model – the Yaris is available as both a hatch and sedan – but it seems likely that more than one variant will get the green light. A Prius-inspired four-door seems like a sure bet but, with Honda readying a hybrd version of its Fit hatchback, a five-door hatch could also be in the cards.
