The new Prius hybrid was unveiled during the Frankfurt auto show last September with some improvements implemented for is exterior and interior.

On the outside, the Prius gets a new design for its bumper which receives new daytime lights, headlamps with new LED configuration, new graphics for the tail lamp, and new options for the alloy rim.

Inside, the front seats gets a new design, new upholstery, and the surfaces get a softer-touch treatment. The car manufacturer also installed better equipment like a new touch screen Toyota Control system which comes standards on all trim levels.

The designers and engineers also aim for better ride comfort and steering by making improvements to the suspension system and the car’s steering column.

The hybrid setup of the Prius remains unchanged with the 1.8L Atkinson petrol engine working with an electric motor. This setup has a combined fuel mileage of 72.4 mpg for UK standards and a carbon dioxide emission of 89 grams per kilometer.

Toyota Prius Minivan

Nikkei newspaper in Japan recently reported that Toyota will indeed be producing a hybrid minivan wearing the Prius badge. This e-vehicle is set to carry the first lithium-ion battery pack that was produced in-house by Toyota. Secondly, the electric vehicle will be a seven-seater which means that it will also be the first family-oriented electronic vehicle in the market. The price tag also reveals a friendly 20 thousand dollar range.

With these factors established, Toyota might just possibly pioneer an entirely new breed of hybrid vehicles out there. After all, people have been looking for ways to transport 5 to 7 people more efficiently for some time now. The new Prius minivan might just be the answer.

The Prius badge on the minivan also confirms reports that family-oriented vehicles are being built around the nameplate. Producing a Prius vehicle that’s not “standard Prius” is a huge leap for Toyota. There are also reports that more Prius variations should be anticipated.

The use of lithium-ion batteries on the minivan also signals a shift in the company’s thinking. Toyota executives recently declared that the lithium ion technology is not ready for hybrid vehicles. The minivan’s mechanical design might just mean that they’ve changed their minds.

While consumers aren’t giddy with excitement with the production of a lithium-ion powered Prius minivan, Toyota’s move is certainly a significant mark in automotive history. The concept isn’t spanking new, but its development certainly suggests that Toyota might be heading to a different direction in the coming years. The Prius hybrid minivan is scheduled for release in 2011.

When you break it down – even though Toyota has been getting a lot of flack about their recent recall, they are still the leader in the hybrid market and when they came out with the brand new Toyota FT-CH at the Detroit Auto Show – it wowed everyone … including me! 

Not only is the Toyota FT-CH a little cousin to the Pruis, but it looks neat and certainly looks like it will fit into this world of small, compact cars.  This small little car is only about 68.5 inches wide and is not very tall at all but it was definitely making waves at the Detroit Auto Show just a few short weeks ago.

If you are looking for a small hybrid car that is extremely cost-efficient, this is the car for you people!

The drop in sales is attributed by analysts to how buyers took advantage of the benefits provided by the Cash for Clunkers scheme. The end of the program also meant hybrid vehicles not being the top choice of buyers because of their higher sticker price.

August was witness to about 38,701 hybrid vehicles rolling of the stores while September only tallied about 19,977 hybrid units. The drop in sales was worse than expected. The sales of hybrid vehicles even decreased more than the conventional cars which had a drop of 40.9%.

Even the leader of the hybrid segment, the Toyota Prius fell by as much as 42% in terms of sales volume. All the numbers of carmakers took a dive including the tandem of Lexus and Toyota on the hybrid market which experienced a sales drop of around 39.7%.

Other car makers like Nissan had plunge of 89.1%, Ford by 54.5%, Honda by 61.6%, and GM dropped by as much as 40.8%.

Toyota and Lexus still has the big chunk of the hybrid market with a slice of 74%. Ford has an 11% share of the pie while Honda gets 8%.

There is no contest when one looks at the number of cars sold compared to truck. This applies to both the hybrid segment and the regular vehicles. Among hybrids, 12 of 22 sold were cars. In the conventional vehicle segment, cars make up 53%.

However, w are going to talk about the Toyota Plug-In Prius Concept – this incredible concept car is actually going to be a car that is supposed to plug in, instead of having a gas tank at all.  While Toyota right at the moment is not giving up any details, there has to be a lithium ion battery pack somewhere in that sports car – or at least we hope there is.

Just remember, the Toyota Plug-In Prius Concept is going to be featured at the Frankfurt Motor Show – I can promise you that one!

Of course, the main reasons The Box is so sought after is because of its affordability, its ultimate practicality, and though you may not realize it, because of its high performance as well.

There are lots of things going on under the Scion xB’s hood, thanks to a 2.4 liter inline four cylinder engine, Toyota’s pride; it makes for 158 horsepower and a whopping 162 pounds per feet of torque.

The Prius is one of those cars that I think could be almost completely and totally green, which to me is one of those things that will push it over the top.  With the way that the environment is right now, it is pretty obvious that the Prius is going to be in the lead for the car of the year – on the hybrid side, especially with this brand new addition!

So if you are worried about the environment and you truly want to make a different, Toyota is with you and the Prius is going to be the very best choice!

We all know that Toyota is the leading car company – however, what you might not know is that Toyota is actually the leading car company for hybrid cars.  They are definitely one of those companies that care truly about the environment and they are using all of their resources to come up with a car that runs on no fuel at all or on very little fuel.  Take the Toyota Highlander FCHV-adv, this car is definitely one SUV that I am into – it is a hydrogen fuel cell SUV!

Now, currently, they are testing the Toyota Highlander FCHV-adv and this car is actually topping out at about 431 miles right now without having to refuel itself with gas – just with H2.  This car is honestly one of the coolest and while it might not be on the market and available until 2015, I am so excited about it!

So if you are looking for a car that is a hybrid – you should take a look at Toyota as the company and Toyota Highlander FCHV-adv as the SUV!

If there is one thing that I know about Toyota, it is going to be that they are looking for the best possible way to make some of the best hybrid cars on the market.  However, whenever you are designing cars, you want them to look cool right? After all, if the car does not look appealing then you will not gain all that many buyers and that, in a whole is going to be the point of producing a car.  So that is why Toyota, way back in 2007 came up with the Toyota FT-HS concept and I have to say that it looks pretty cool!

This incredible concept car is by far one of the coolest looking hybrid sports cars ever and it is going to be by far one of the fastest on the market as well.  This particular car, while a concept right now is supposed to be built around 2011, so there really should be no word about it probably until next year … however I wanted to give you the lowdown on it.

So really, check out Toyota because they are truly doing some remarkable things in the hybrid area.

Of course, by all rights, it is no longer just a concept. Indeed, it is the first sports car introduced by Toyota since the manufacturer dropped the popular Supra over ten years ago, in 1997.

With this concept car, Toyota wanted something that could develop four hundred horsepower. They wanted a hybrid sports car, and that is what they got — an eco friendly dream than can go from zero to sixty in approximately four seconds.

The engine? A 3.5 liter V6 full of thrust. It would be easy to develop — or simply find — an electric motor to help make up the rest.