Toyota mulls Prius eco-brand

Toyota is looking to take advantage of the green image its Prius petrol-electric hybrid vehicle enjoys by building upon the ‘Prius’ name and launching a new family of eco-friendly vehicles under it. Earlier reports claimed Toyota could launch a second dedicated hybrid brand but now its R&D executive vice president has revealed that Prius could be turned into a brand by itself.

Speaking with Automotive News, Toyota exec Kazuo Okamoto said planners were studying the idea but wasn’t willing to confirm how far the talks had progressed. "I do think it is a reasonable direction," he added.

Okamoto also revealed that the next Prius could spawn several variants from the same platform. When asked about coupes, sedans and wagons, he said “using the Prius platform for various variations is possible.”

Pictured above is Toyota’s 1/X carbon-fiber plug-in concept from last year’s Tokyo Motor Show, and is reportedly the basis for the next-generation Prius due at the end of the decade.