Toyota has further extended the range of the Prius by showing two brand new variants at the Detroit Auto Show - a supermini and an MPV.
Called the Prius C Concept (supermini) and the Prius V (MPV), Toyota hopes that they'll expand the car's vast customer base even further in the US.
More than ten million sales in America make the Prius an icon, so it's something of a surprise that it's taken Toyota this long to extend the family. There's still a wait, though, as the V will launch at the end of 2011 and the C in 2012.
Starting with the little C, the Toyota says it will be the most efficient hybrid ever when it launches. It will be aimed specifically at young people, focusing less on space and more on excellent fuel economy and fun dynamics.
The C Concept is around the same size as the Yaris, and it's likely the engine will be a smaller petrol unit than the 1.8-litre found in the Prius proper - though there are no details as yet.
The V is about the same size as the Toyota Verso and has a vastly improved cargo area compared to the standard Prius - though not the Verso's extra two seats. Toyota doesn't sell the Verso MPV in America, so a hybrid people carrier makes sense there; it's thought the Prius V will not come to Europe for fear of it cannibalising Verso sales.
And whether the C will come to Europe is not clear either, because Toyota already has plans for a hybrid Yaris, due in 2012.
