New Toyota Hybrid Concept to Make World Debut at 2010 Detroit Auto Show
By John O'Dell December 14, 2009
Toyota is announcing this morning that it will debut a "new, dedicated hybrid concept vehicle" at the upcoming 2010 North American International Auto Show.
No other word was available about the Jan. 11 unveiling, except that it will be a "world debut."
Because it is described as a new concept, it doesn't seem likely to be a pre-production version of the FT-HS sports coupe unveiled in concept form in 2007, and because it is a new dedicated hybrid concept it shouldn't be a hybrid version of any of Toyota's present models.
That still leaves the gate pretty wide open. Could be a Toyota, could be a Lexus. Could be a plug-in - except the plug-in Prius already has made its bow - or perhaps it could be a concept look at the Prius sport wagon we've been hearing about.
Or how 'bout a hybrid pickup? Something beyond the A-BAT concept shown at Detroit in '08
Tundra sales aren't doing all that well - Toyota has discovered that those who really need a truck for work purposes still overwhelmingly prefer U.S. brands.
So why not a more-efficient hybrid pickup for those who want the occasional utility of an open bed without the fuel costs of a conventional load-hauler?
Of course, the advance notice we got could be all hype and it could be a new concept treatment and model name of something that's been shown before.
Toyota has hinted that some sort of photography will be available late this morning - although we don't expect it to reveal much, else it would spoil the Jan. 11 auto show surprise.
But we'll be following and will bring you as much as we can find out as soon as we can find it.
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