Toyota has officially confirmed that it will unveil its long-awaited and much-rumored Yaris hybrid concept at the Geneva Motor Show in March. The Japanese automaker didn’t reveal any specs for the hybridized Yaris, but did state that the gas-electric concept will sport design cues that will make it stand out from the conventional Yaris.
From what we’ve gathered in the past, Toyota intends to manufacturer a “small hybrid car” at its Valenciennes plant in France beginning in 2012. Given that the gasoline-powered Yaris is built there, coupled with countless reports claiming that the Yaris would become the foundation of the automaker’s low-cost subcompact hybrid, it is almost a given that Toyota will launch a production gas-electric version of the Yaris sometime in 2012.
Toyota will also bring “a further expansion of the Prius family” to Geneva, which it calls, the “first car to offer European customers the versatility of 7 seats combined with a full hybrid powertrain.” Sounds like an even bigger Prius V to us.
For now, it appears unlikely that the gas-electric Yaris will hit U.S. dealerships, but we’ll be sure to grab live shots of the hybridized subcompact and the Prius+ when they hit the stage in Geneva.
Fuel Cell Hybrid Vehicles (FCHV) on display.
Making its world debut at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show, the Yaris HSD concept anticipates Toyota’s intention to bring full hybrid technology to the B segment, the biggest volume segment in Europe. This represents the next step in Toyota’s full hybrid roll-out strategy in Europe. Incorporating several hybrid-specific styling cues, the Yaris HSD concept introduces a new, forward-looking design execution.
The Prius+, also debuting at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show, is a further expansion of the Prius family. The Prius+ is the first car to offer European customers the versatility of 7 seats combined with a full hybrid powertrain. As its name suggests, the Prius+ provides a significant increase in space and passenger accommodation, while sacrificing none of the traditional attributes found in the Prius DNA, such as the lowest fuel consumption of any 7-seat MPV on the market.
