Rendered Speculation: li-ion Lexus Prius for 2010?

/
Over on the VWvortex Forums, forum member DoctorNo says that what you see above is a rendering of the new Lexus Prius. This new hybrid (in more than one sense) will feature lithium-ion batteries, all the luxury amenities one would expect from the brand and should be available in late 2010 or early 2011. This redesigned Prius would blend elements that made the Prius so popular (the hybrid synergy drive, of course, and some of design language) while moving into a Lexus look and a $30,000+ price tag. If li-ion batteries are included, then that's not too bad. No rumors about a plug, though.

Also, according to what DoctorNo translates from the scanned Japanese magazine text, Toyota's next Prius will use the 1.8L 2ZR engine instead of 1NZ.

[Source: VWvortex Forums]

More Information