Unified design theme for future Toyota hybrids

One of the key reasons Toyota has had such success with the Prius is the instantly recognizable green image the car projects. That’s one of the major reasons why the Prius has gone on to sell almost 140,000 units in the U.S. this year whereas the similarly efficient Camry Hybrid sold just under 40,000. People buying hybrid vehicles not only want the peace of mind that they’re doing their part to help the environment but they also want people around them to know it.

Toyota and most other carmakers for that matter have realized this and that’s why for its next-generation of hybrids Toyota will be unifying the design of the eco-friendly cars so that they present a common green image. The design is still being finalized but Toyota’s chief designer, Wahei Hirai, gave Automotive News a preview of it, which is said to resemble the Prius shape but with more character lines as seen in the 1/X concept (pictured).

The cars will feature more body sculpting for sharper angles and edges in a similar fashion to the lines on the iQ minicar concept. These are said to reduce drag while at the same time improve stability, revealed Hirai.

Of course there will still be hybrids based on regular models but these will have unique grilles, bumpers or headlights to differentiate them, the Chief designer explained.