Filed under: Hybrid , Toyota , Detroit Auto Show , Green Daily Click above for high-res gallery of the 2010 Toyota Prius The 2010 Prius debuted today in Detroit and, well, it’s a new Prius. But it’s also a little bit more in a lot of little ways. First, if all you care about is mileage, the number you need to know is a combined rating of 50 mpg, based on Toyota’s own internal testing. That bump in MPGs (up from 46 in the current model) comes from a larger and more powerful 1.8-liter Atkinson-cycle, four-cylinder engine. That may sound counterintuitive, but Toyota’s press release (pasted after the jump) is prepared for that, and says that the higher torque means lower rpm on the highway. And the highway is where hybrids don’t exactly shine. The new Prius has three driving modes: Eco, EV-Drive and Power. The EV Drive isn’t anything new – if you have a Japanese Prius. A first for the U.S., the Eco mode allows battery-only operation “at low speeds for about a mile, if conditions permit.” This is still the nickel-metal battery pack, after all. The other modes should be fairly obvious, with Eco providing the best mileage and the Power giving the car a “sportier feel.” When you’re not cruising down the road, an optional solar-powered moonroof over the rear seats can keep the hybrid from getting too hot when the car is parked in the sun. The electric fan circulates fresh air into the car before you get in and, if that’s not enough coolness for you, a remote starter can turn on the air conditioning. Toyota says this is the world’s first A/C that can operate on battery alone. How cool is the sun? The design team made the redesigned Prius just a little bit slipperier through the air. By moving the B-pillar back a bit and tweaking things here and there (check out the new rear spoiler), the 2010 Prius has a coefficient of drag (Cd) value to 0.25 (the current model has 0.26). There’s tons more information after the break. Gallery: Detroit 2009: 2010 Toyota Prius Gallery: 2010 Toyota Prius Continue reading Detroit 2009: next-gen 2010 Toyota Prius Detroit 2009: next-gen 2010 Toyota Prius originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Mon, 12 Jan 2009 13:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds .Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green|Car Blog Green

See original here:
Detroit 2009: next-gen 2010 Toyota Prius