Latest London taxi is spied well outside of England

Not long ago, we showed you a bizarre, long-wheelbase Volvo XC90 testing in Sweden. We thought it was a new Popemobile, but our spy photographer tells us it was actually a prototype of the car you see above: the new London Taxi Company TX5. Apparently the taxi builder took advantage of parent company Geely’s Volvo ownership for disguising the vehicle. But now we have a clearer look at the car that will likely become commonplace on the streets of London in the next few years.

The TX5 is still instantly identifiable as a London taxi, but it’s been modernized and sharpened up when compared to the current TX4. It now has suicide rear doors with stylish doorhandles that connect the front and rear, a bit like the outgoing Rolls-Royce Phantom. The headlights are no longer simple circles, taking a shape that blends with the bodywork more. The same goes for the taillights. The hood is also wider and flatter than the TX4, and the curved character lines down the flanks appear to have been toned down.

The last time we heard about the TX5, it was slated to reach production by the end of this year. The camouflage on this prototype looks minimal, so we believe the car is likely to hit the 2017 deadline. The car will be a range-extended electric car, and will compete with the Frazer-Nash Metrocab, another range-extended EV.

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